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2005-09-06T20:18:00.000-04:00

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On The Cutting Edge

2005-09-06T07:40:00.000-04:00

by Gabe Kahn

As of this minute, the Celtics have 18 players signed to their roster, three more than the 15 allowed under the brand new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Barring a trade between now and November 2, when the Celtics open their season against Larry Brown and the New York Knicks, Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers are going to have to make some tough decisions regarding who will make it, and who will not.

The Celtics' overflowing roster is an issue because they drafted three players, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes and Orien Greene and then took back two players, Curtis Borchardt and Quyntel Woods in the Antoine Walker deal last month. Following that, point guard Will Bynum was signed in free agency and the C's traded for the offensively talented yet defensively challenged Dan Dickau. Woods, if he is not included in any trade for the sake of making salaries match, will be waived. That leaves two more players than available roster spots and it's anyone's guess who will still be around on opening night.

Of the 17 remaining players, the following 10 are certain to make the team: Paul Pierce, Ricky Davis, Raef LaFrentz, Al Jefferson, Brian Scalabrine, Delonte West, Green, Gomes, Dickau, and, sorry fans, Mark Blount. Others, such as Kendrick Perkins, Justin Reed and Greene (once his contract becomes official; though reports differ, it appears that his deal is all but done) might not be locks to be employed much after Halloween, but they shouldn't get too worried, either. Those who might consider hiring a real estate agent in the next few weeks are Marcus Banks, Tony Allen, Bynum and Borchardt.

Allen is the newest and most shocking addition to this list and his inclusion has very little if anything to do with basketball. The Oklahoma State product may have been involved in an incident in Chicago last week where someone Allen reportedly had been arguing with earlier in the day was shot and injured. If it turns out that Allen was more than peripherally involved, the Celtics may consider cutting ties with the gravity defying second-year player, upsetting as it would be to them. Unless there is any evidence pointing to Allen blatantly enough that any jail time is discussed and, given that Chicago police have stated that Allen is not even a suspect, one would have to believe that the chances of something like that happening are extremely unlikely.

No one is entirely sure what the Celtics' intentions are when it comes to Borchardt. The oft-injured center has not yet been waived, and the Green would like to hold onto him as insurance in case LaFrentz's right knee acts up or if Blount goes all, well, Blount on them again in '05-'06. Borchardt is a bit of a wild card and could turn out to be a viable backup. Remember, he will turn 25 this month and has only been in the league for three seasons, playing only during the last two because of a stress fracture that kept him out his entire rookie year. He may have some untapped potential in his brittle body and the fact that he is a 7-footer means that he'll probably have a shelf life in the NBA, but because of the overcrowded roster, he would be the most logical one to get the axe.

If it weren't for the fact that Bynum was signed to a guaranteed contract just weeks ago, he would be on the top of everyone's list of players not expected to make it through training camp. Though the rookie point guard out of Georgia Tech performed moderately well while playing with the Celtics squad in the Reebok Vegas Summer League back in July, Bynum would seem to be the odd man out when it comes to the five point guards on the Celtics' roster. Though a good scorer, Rivers' would much prefer to have a playmaker as his floor general, as he already has plenty of guys capable of putting the ball in the bucket and he already has Dickau and Banks who think shoot first. Minor conspiracy theorists believe that Bynum was brought aboard simply to push Banks to work harder in October, not because he has any real shot of making it onto the roster himself. By the way, for all you who are still stuck on why Ainge would sign a guy only to drop him before he ever played a game, remember that they did something very similar with Ernest Brown last season (though Brown did not have a guaranteed contract). With the $3 million the Celtics received from Miami in the Walker trade, they could cut Bynum and not even notice.

All this leads us, of course, to the mercurial and controversial Banks. Some think he is the Anti-Christ. Some think he is the Messiah, or at least the second coming of Chauncey Billups. Would Ainge sign Bynum simply to motivate young Marcus? From everything coming out of the Celtics' organization, the answer is a resounding "yes." Banks has been mentioned in trade rumors many times this summer, and many times more than anyone else on the current roster. His play as well as his attitude last season clearly frustrated Rivers on numerous occasions and his behavior behind closed doors has irked the Celtics ever since he was drafted. And for all the comparisons to Billups, recall that Chauncey averaged over 11 points in his rookie season and just under 14 points in year two. Marcus averaged 5.9 and 4.6 points in his first and second seasons, respectively.

The Celtics' have taken issue with Banks because they are under the impression that he has enough talent to make him a first class NBA point guard but refuses to listen to those who want him to reach that point. Having exasperated his coaches and his teammates, Ainge may be hoping that the last resort to getting his message through to Banks is by taking away his job security. If anything can get Banks to change his ways, making him sweat out a roster spot will and if it doesn't, what's the point of even trying? It's unlikely that it would come to that, but sources have indicated that it is a course that the Celtics are considering taking.

But the fact remains, that whether it be because of injuries, talent, trouble with the law or simply a lack of motivation, two must go. If these four want to be members of the Boston Celtics in 2006, it's time to start making their case. Let the competition begin.

Little Chief

2005-09-05T12:33:00.000-04:00

There is one line from an article that ran last week about Al Jefferson that I must have just glazed over, but it was pointed out to me by reader EZ. Here it is.

Jefferson also plans to visit Robert Parish in Florida and learn from the Hall of Famer.

When I stop and think about that statement, my mind wanders back to the days of the Big 3, my head tilts back and I start drooling like Homer Simpson.

Think about it. Both guys are the strong silent type (with a goofy side). Parish was a fierce rebounder and defender with some great touch around the hoop. Jefferson has the rebounding and touch and you can tell he wants to be a defender too. The Chief had the luxury of deferring to Larry and had Kevin's back on the blocks. For now, Jefferson can walk in Paul's shadow and has a great relationship with Kendrick Perkins down low.

Now, let me be clear. I'm not signing up the kid for Springfield just yet. I don't even want to say that Al is going to play like Robert. My point is that if anyone could be a good mentor or tutor for Al, it would be double-zero himself. I recall that sometime last year, Danny ran into Parish and made it clear that he wanted him around. I emphatically second that.

I'm very impressed with this kid every time I hear something new about him. The fact that he wants to learn from one of my alltime favorite players is even more of an indication of where his heart is at. Its going to be a joy watching him grow.

Shira Talks To Doc

2005-09-04T09:28:00.000-04:00

Shira has a nice interview with Doc Rivers on the upcoming season. However, oddly enough, the Tony Allen incident was not brought up and it still has not appeared in the Globe online edition (to my knowledge). Odd.

One interesting exchange was about the starting linup. It sounds like Doc wants to move Paul to the 2 some more this year and use that "power 3" that we hear so much about.

Q. What might the starting lineup look like? What combinations are you considering?

A. ''There's a lot of combinations that we can play. I can't wait to get that on the floor and see how those different combinations look and what works and what doesn't work. We can go big. We can go small. [Brian] Scalabrine could be at the 3, Paul at the 2, is a huge lineup. Ryan Gomes is another guy you can play at small forward with Paul at shooting guard and we can force some matchups. That's something I like. I would love Paul to be at the 2 and one of these guys [Scalabrine or Gomes] can step forward and play and be comfortable at the small forward that helps us with our size, our rebounding. But I'm concerned about that lineup defensively."

Mike Kahn Likes Lists

2005-09-02T18:40:00.000-04:00

He ranks the small forwards and puts Paul Pierce at #6 (behind Shawn Marion and Richard Jefferson).
(as far as I know, Mike Kahn is of no relation to Gabe Kahn)

Despite his obviously immense talent, a lot of people are split on what Pierce's value is because of his moody, erratic play that always affects his play and his teammates. He could play at a superstar level again, but most people doubt it.

Carnival #15

2005-09-02T14:40:00.000-04:00

The Carnival is up at SacKingsBlog.com

the highlight:

"Ron at Hornets247 puts everything in perspective. Basketball hardly seems important right now."

Pictures are worth a 1,000 words and as a result, leave us speachless.

Shooting Victim Points To Allen

2005-09-02T08:47:00.000-04:00

Chicago Sun Times article

Now things are starting to look worse for Tony Allen. The victim and his lawyer are claiming that the shooter was part of Allen's party and blame Allen for the shooting in relation to the arguement they had earlier.

Johnson said he didn't know the shooter but would be able to recognize him again. The shooter was part of a large entourage that accompanied Allen into the restaurant, said Johnson's lawyer, Rahsaan A. Gordon.

...

Johnson "is inside the restaurant, standing at a counter waiting to be seated," Gordon said, adding Johnson was with several others.

"A short time later [around 3:30 a.m.], Tony Allen comes in with a large group of 10 to 15 people. Immediately when he comes in, he spots Marktwain Johnson and he begins to go into his tirade."

"F--- him up," Allen told the shooter, according to Gordon.

That could not be confirmed with police, who interviewed Johnson at the hospital.

The Herald states that the original confrontation may have been about the money Allen makes as an NBA player.

To me, the best case senario here is that Johnson and his lawyer are looking to make some money off of a rich NBA player. Worst case, of course, is that he's telling the truth. This likely isn't going to be the sort of thing that just goes away quietly. Expect more information (true or not) to come out in the next few days and a distracting trial somewhere down the road.

Trivial Pursuit

2005-09-01T16:37:00.000-04:00

Celtics Trivia (yup, another slow-day filler) - how'd you do?

Police Want To Question Tony Allen

2005-09-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

It seems as though Tony Allen and Will Bynum were in a restaurant in Chicago (celebrating Will's contract with the C's) and a shooting occured there that night. Police want to question Allen because, as the article states:

A Hinsdale man -- who sources said may have been in an earlier dispute with Allen -- was wounded in the shooting.

However, the article also states:

Police are not calling Allen a suspect, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

So hopefully this is nothing.

Around the League - Finley Dominos

2005-09-01T07:40:00.000-04:00

Looks like the Spurs just got better. Finley has been rumored to be the amnesty domino that has held things up and will likely start things off. When I have a minute I'll expound on these, but some things to consider.

Spurs now have an excess of bodies that could be available at the right price. Brent Barry and Rasho come to mind. But don't forget Devin Brown.
Effect on C's - I'd still be in favor of a Blount for Rasho swap, and Danny has tried to get Barry in the past. But beyond that, it just means that the Patriots of the NBA are still really good.

Earl Watson seems like the last man standing in the "big-name" free agent department. He could land in Denver, but I'm not sure how they'd work that all out. He'd be behind Andre Miller and fighting Boykins for the backup spot.

Heat need to move on and still have that MLE to use. They could just resign Damon Jones. Not sure why they don't go after Watson.
Effect on C's - Little to none.

Spreewell still looking to feed his family.
Effect on C's - Hopefully none at all.

Yao resigning with the Rockets effectively makes the Lakers 3 year plan look a bit silly. I'd be drop dead shocked if they were able to get either Amare or Dirk. Cap room is so overrated.
Effect on C's - Beat LA! Beat LA! Beat LA!

More Filler On A Slow Day

2005-08-31T14:18:00.000-04:00

The last three posts on NBASource.com are priceless.

Funniest Things About The NBA: Part I

Oh The Places Antoine's Shimmy Will Go

Funniest Things About The NBA: Part II (new)

Ricky Being Ricky

2005-08-31T08:59:00.001-04:00

I'm going to go ahead and throw out the Ricky Davis - Manny Ramirez comparison. Discuss.

Update: First of all, of course this was filler on a slow news day. I'm allowed to mail it in once in a while aren't I? Besides, I just love this picture and needed an excuse to run it.

As for my rationale on the comparison, it is pretty basic. Both guys seem to me (this is a perception thing, so don't kill me) to be fun-loving, absent-minded, but immensely talented guys that are often misinterpreted and even vilified for being who they are. Both guys are very unique individuals and in that way they are similar.

Of course they are different in the details. You could go on forever about how they are different (and I knew you would). I was just pointing out that a lot of the issues that some people have with Ricky can only really be explained away by saying "hey, that's just Ricky being Ricky." For example, the triple-double incident. I think that was just Ricky being a goofball and hamming it up for the fans and/or teammates egging him on to get the trip-dub. How people point to that as to why he is a selfish egomaniac disrespecting the game is a little beyond me.

That's all I was saying. But thanks for the comments. I now return you to your regularly scheduled rehashing of Paul Pierce's attitude, Mark Blount trade ideas, and who will be cut in training camp.

My Response to Amico

2005-08-30T15:42:00.000-04:00

Here's my response to Amico

Its not every day that I get to link to myself. Basically, I took Amico's bait and gave the best response I could come up with to his Celtics articles. You guys did a great job of breaking down the article yesterday and this really wasn't exactly necessary, but its been slow lately. It was a good excuse to write about something other than who will get cut in training camp for the 30th time.

Update: By the way - say what you want about Amico's opinions, but he's a class act all the way. In case you missed it, here is his response to all the emails as well as my article. (Hey, its his site, so he gets the last word.)

My Latest Favorite Internet Rumor

2005-08-30T10:20:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest rumor I've found on the net that I like a lot:

Blount and Banks to Minnesota for Olowokandi and Ebi

Kandi has an expiring contract and Ebi's deal is about the same as Banks. I could see Kevin rolling the dice on trying to give Blount a change of scenery to kickstart his career. The Celtics would be out from under his contract and could let Kandi, Ebi, Bynum, and Borchardt all fight for roster spots in training camp.

I'll look for more information on this and update you if anything develops. It could be nothing, but I feel it is worth checking out.

Update: Just so everyone is crystal clear on this - the rumor comes from an Internet message board. The original poster is a mod on the RealGM boards and he claims to have a source. I do not vouch for the source, nor am I claiming any credit for the rumor. Just passing it along.

Update 2: The message board poster that started the rumor is now saying that Ebi is not part of the deal. It would just be Kandi for Blount and Banks. The C's may still add a pick to rush the deal but the Wolves have other things in the air right now.

Minor Site Updates

2005-08-29T23:03:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd do a little cleaning up around here. Updated the About page and added a Resources page.

In addition, to give you another look at the message boards, here is an Index page. If you like that look, it might be a good bookmark. Otherwise, the main forums link is the same.

Plan A/Plan B

2005-08-29T20:24:00.000-04:00

I would say that nobody but Danny knows what he's going to do next, except that I don't think even he knows yet.

The way I see it, he's given himself at least two general directions he can go with this roster. (we'll assume Woods is waived)

Plan A: Trade Blount with Banks as the bait.

Gabe has told us that there is no market for either guy, and I believe him. However, that doesn't make them any less available. The hope is that some teams will arrive at training camp and realize that they need more depth at center and point guard. If you think about it, you'd be hard to find many clubs that don't have those needs. When players start getting injured or showing up 30 lbs. overweight, then maybe our players suddenly don't look so bad.

It is true that Blount is overpaid. It is also true that Marcus is very cheap. If you picked up the options on his rookie deal, you have him for 3 years at around $2M per. If he doesn't work out, you cut him and move on. If you are a team with a $7M player that you don't like or need and you want a 2 for 1 deal, you know where to look. I believe that one of the reasons why Ainge has Bynum and Borchardt around is in case he has to dump Blount and Banks for picks or players that do not play the 1 or 5.

Plan B: Let the training camp battles begin!

We could see Bynum, Banks, and Greene will battle for the 3rd PG spot with the weakest link booted off the island. We could see Borchardt, Perkins, and Blount battle it out for the backup center position. If Borchardt can beat one or both of them, he gets to stay on the team. Otherwise (barring a trade) he could be cut. With his injury history, there's always the chance that he will make the decision easy by going down with any one of his various health issues. Which brings up another point. Anyone could get hurt in training camp. Instead of scrambling for a late signing, we could have just the backups we need right on the roster. You never know. All things being equal, I tend to think that it would Bynum and Borchardt cut.

Of course, there is the darkhorse option (Plan C) of a major trade (or even a mid-major trade) that would send out more players than it brought back. I still think this could happen, but there is zero buzz right now, so I'm not counting on it.

Amico's Take on the Celtics

2005-08-29T09:23:00.000-04:00

Our friend Sam Amico has some harsh words for the Celtics in their current state. In particular he states: "Today, Boston's roster is pretty much a mess."

Before you warm up the flame emails, he's already responded to one reader's feedback. So read that, ...then email him.

Off Topic

2005-08-29T08:15:00.000-04:00

Slow news day for the Celtics. The Globe confirmed what Gabe already told us, that the C's have August vacations that are slowing things up a bit. So on to some non-Celtics related items.

First and foremost, our friend Big_Easy is safely evacuated from New Orleans. May all the residents of New Orleans find shelter, comfort, and safety. God bless.

Watched a little of the Little League World Series this weekend. Great to see the kids playing. The best part was seeing a commercial for the Major Leagues and being struck by the fact that these adults are really just playing a silly kids game. Always good to get some perspective.

Speaking of silly games, I had my fantasy football draft last night and I absolutely hate my team. Hate it. Every pick seemed to be a reach (Larry Fitzgerald), a risk (Fred Taylor), or a flat out gamble (Michael Vick). When your "safe" pick is Tiki Barber, you know you are in trouble. I'll either lap the field or be done by week 4. There's no in between.

Finally, if you must have your Celtics fix, the Bent has just what you need. Another Top Ten! Enjoy.

Forums Version 2.1

2005-08-29T00:05:00.000-04:00

To make up for the server issues, I've given the forums a facelift. Hope you like.

Cutting Coupons

2005-08-28T15:05:00.000-04:00

Shira in the Globe:

When the season rolls around, the Celtics will have to cut three players with guarantees. Regardless of who makes the cut, the team will not suffer severe financial repercussions.

The cash considerations received from Miami in the Walker trade ($3 million) have given the Celtics extra money to play with. Theoretically, the cash was designed to cover the contracts of Woods and Curtis Borchardt (about $2.65 million combined), but Boston can use it to cover any contracts. Essentially, Ainge and Rivers have free looks at some intriguing players.

Ainge Gets to the Point

2005-08-27T06:09:00.000-04:00

The Boston Globe: "Ainge gets to the point" - Bob Ryan

Ainge on Banks

''I won't say I'm disappointed with Marcus," Ainge maintains. ''Marcus has proven to be an NBA player. But I'd have to say his strength is in the open floor and exerting full-court defensive pressure. He has struggled in the half-court."

Ainge on West

''They all say they want to win, but Delonte is one of the rare young players I have ever come across who actually plays to win," Ainge says. ''He does not care about stats. He moves the ball. He blocks out. He goes after loose balls. He truly does all the little things."

Ainge on Dickau

''He has really improved his ballhandling skills and he can shoot the ball," analyzes Ainge. ''He just has a knack for offensive basketball. If you run a pick-and-roll with him, he must be honored."

Ainge on Greene

''Orien Greene caught my eye when he played an NCAA Tournament game for Louisiana-Lafayette against North Carolina State a year ago," Ainge says. ''He was a [6-foot-5-inch] point guard who made steals, blocked shots, and was all over the floor. He has interesting overall basketball skills. He's just a different look for us."

And finally, Ainge on Bynum

''He can play defense at that position, and he can score," Ainge declares. ''He is a playground legend in Chicago,"

If you have time, read the whole article. Ryan does a good job with it. But I wanted to get the Ainge quotes up here.

Tony

2005-08-26T22:41:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder: Don't sleep on Tony. Al is the near future, and Gerald should be the distant future, but Tony might be the most ready to step up right now.

Cut Banks?

2005-08-25T22:39:00.000-04:00

Oh how the mighty-talented have fallen. Marcus Banks was Danny Ainge's first draft pick ever and now, according to Gabe Kahn, he might just be in danger of not making the team. Now, this seems like a stretch, and I'm sure even Gabe would point out that this would be a last-resort sort of thing. However, the fact that it might even be considered is pretty shocking.

Obviously the team would prefer to see him blossom this year, and if he can win a job as a starter or even the primary backup, that would be the best case. However, one issue seems to be his attitude and maybe even his work ethic. If that is true, then the trade for Dickau and the signings of Greene and Bynum must be intended to light a fire in his belly. The message is clear. Nobody is handing you the job Marcus, lottery pick or not.

In fact, if he does have an attitude problem, then if he can't beat out Dickau or West, then is it worth it to keep him as just the 3rd point guard option? The team is very, very high on Orien Greene and seems to like Bynum as well. If the only reason you keep Banks around for is his defense, I would point to Greene and say "he can do that too." And if the C's really have lost this much faith in his playmaking, then you have to consider moving him.

Ok, then trade him to get some return for him, right? I'm sure that is an option that is being discussed. However, according to Gabe, the team cannot get a first rounder for him from anyone, and that includes the Lakers. They could probably get a second rounder or another undesirable player in return for him. But the obviously don't need more players, and you could argue that they have plenty of 2nd rounders.

Essentially it becomes more valuable to have a carrot (or a threat) motivating a former lottery talent than it would be to simply get a second rounder for him. Marcus is in the last guaranteed year of his rookie contract. The team could cut him, eat his salary this year, and save on the two team option years remaining.

So there it is. Baring any more moves before or during training camp, we will see Woods waived and one more player waived. It could be Bynum, it could be Borchardt, and amazingly enough, it could even be Marcus Banks.

Update: Ok my math is off. I guess Woods plus two more players need to be waived.

Update 2 - Gabe's Addendum:
A lot of people have written in asking about the logic of cutting Banks outright instead of trying to get even a 2nd round pick for him. I think that most would agree that many teams would give up a second rounder for Banks. But here's the thing: According to what I've heard (and you can continue to agree or disagree with the thinking here), the C's feel that what they can get out of a scared, motivated and ultimately coachable Banks will be worth much more than what they could get for him in a trade. They believe that the issue is NOT with his talent, but rather with his head and his ability to listen to his coaches. They are hoping to get him to play like a first rounder by hanging the threat of cutting him over his head. If he responds, then this threat (empty or not) will have given them much more than Marcus' current trade value. If it does not work, they'll be asking themselves if anything will get him to play like they think Banks is capable of, and that is why they'd consider cutting him.

Dickau Details

2005-08-25T17:38:00.000-04:00

It seems as though dreams of a larger deal brewing under the surface are not going to come true. Here are the latest details given to me from Gabe Kahn.

The deal has been held up because of delays in paperwork. Basically, people are out of the office for summer committments.

The deal is Dickau for a 2nd round pick. To make the deal happen, the C's will use up part of the trade exception they got from the Walker deal. It doesn't go to New Orleans, it just goes away. We should have just over $2.5M left to use at a later date.

In an odd twist, apparently the deal will create another trade exception for the Hornets to use at another time. Because they are under the cap and trading a contract for no contract, this is what they get to do.

No word yet on which 2nd rounder we're giving up.

All indications are that the C's are done tweaking unless some team comes calling with an offer.

Characters

2005-08-25T11:31:00.000-04:00

On Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes: "Those guys were hysterical. Seriously, they were like Laurel and Hardy. Green was the comedian. I seriously could not get him to just give me an expression or something. He was totally a goofball - in a good way. The only problem is we have limited time. Once I get them (on the set), I only have like seven minutes, and with two guys I have to work quickly. I really had to get him focused." - Andrew D. Bernstein

Fiddlin and Diddlin

2005-08-25T08:47:00.000-04:00

No earth shattering news today, but for the bored and Celtics starved, there are a few links here and there.

Eric Pincus talks about the unlikeliness of Marcus Banks going to the Lakers.

NBASource.com looks at the Dickau signing and the potential fall out.

Henry Abbott points the finger at Gerald Green.

Sam Amico follows some actual basketball being played in the Dominican, and finds Dennis Johnson coaching there.

Finally, you can read up on our new "quiet homebody who digs Christian rock."

Forums 2.0

2005-08-24T10:09:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new forums, same as the old forums. I tried and I tried, but I could not restore the database. So everyone gets a fresh start. Please go in and register a username and get this party started (again).

Please note that registration requires a valid email address (no, I won't spam you) since it will send you a confirmation email to activate the account.

Down Time

2005-08-24T00:13:00.000-04:00

Some random thoughts while waiting for database backup files to download:

I like the Dan Dickau signing. He's a playmaker and a good shooter and is young enough to fit in with the current team but old enough to know his way around a court. I do fear his lack of defense, and I am not really impressed with the "many point guards are not good defensive players" argument. However, if he can get the ball to Paul and Al where they need it and still push the break, then I'll be pretty happy.

Ahh, but will Paul be happy? Don't answer that. That is the 12 million dollar question that I am thoroughly sick of trying to answer.

Is Dickau better than Banks? Perhaps. We can at least assume that Banks is better on D and Dickau better running an offense. You could argue that we didn't really have trouble scoring last year, so what is the big deal? Still, its not like we were shutting people down last year either, so that argument is a wash. Besides, its less important to compare Dickau with Banks as it is to compare this year's point guard rotation to last year's. Is the rotation of Dickau, West, and Orien Greene an upgrade on Payton, Banks, and a oft-hurt West? That will be the question that determines the season.

So why am I talking about Banks as though he's already gone? Because I've run out of scenarios where I can see him returning to the team next year. There are even some rumors out of LA that the Lakers have offered one of their forwards to us for him.

And why am I not posting 10 Mark Blount trade ideas every day? Because I've run out of scenarios where I can see him NOT returning to the team next year.

There are going to be a lot of fun battles for starting spots and playing time this training camp. Dickau vs. West, Allen vs. Davis, and Reed vs. Gomes (backup 3) are my favorites. There should even be a healthy competition between Blount and Perkins (and Borchardt?) for backing up Raef at center. Plus there is the bonus of watching Greene and Bynum duke it out.

Celtics and Hornets agree to Dickau deal

2005-08-23T12:27:00.000-04:00

Shira reports what Gabe told us last night:

Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed last night that the team has agreed in principle to a sign-and-trade deal with New Orleans that would land point guard Dan Dickau in Boston with a three-year contract worth an average of $2.5 million per year.

"Ainge said some details of the deal still must be negotiated, including what the Celtics will give to the Hornets. New Orleans will receive a trade exception in the process."

Update: Russillo is saying that New Orleans doesn't seem to want any of the players we are offering, and will likely take a 2nd rounder and an exception.

Temporary Message Boards

2005-08-23T12:11:00.000-04:00

Until I can get this stuff figured out, this temporary forum is the best I can do. See here for full explaination. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Dickau Deal Close - Sign & Trade Possible

2005-08-22T21:36:00.000-04:00

Gabe Kahn spoke with Mark Bartelstein today. He says that a number of teams are interested in Dan Dickau, but Gabe believes that Mark is talking primarily (or even exclusively) with the Celtics. Dickau was in town today, met with Ainge, and took a physical.

Here are some new twists. First of all, sources indicate that the deal could end up involving a sign and trade. Secondly, it is possible that part of the trade exception could be used.

Update: FSNE is apparently reporting that the deal will be for $2.5M per year for 3 years.

More when it becomes available.

Message Boards Down Again (sorry)

2005-08-22T19:17:00.000-04:00

I was able to upload the message board to the new server, but I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how to restore the database. Please bear with me.

Anyone with phpBB expertise is welcome to offer support. Thanks.

Throw Ins?

2005-08-22T09:40:00.000-04:00

As it becomes more and more likely that a trade could occur (strictly from a numbers sense), you have to take into account the possibility that a multiple player deal could happen. Every trade is different and you can't help who the other team would ask for. However, many trades have what is called "throw in" players. Typically, these guys aren't a major part of the deal, but they can swing a trade from not happening to happening. For instance, the Celtics recently got Borchardt and Woods as throw ins to make the salaries work on the most recent Antoine Walker trade. In the first Walker trade, Jiri Welsch was a throw in (though Ainge had high hopes for him and described him as a key part of the trade).

Since we have a glut of players, its starting to look more like we'll be the one's needing to throw in this time. Especially if it means dumping Mark Blount on someone. So who are the best throw in candidates?

Certainly Woods is only around for the explicit purpose of being a throw in. Otherwise he'd have been cut immediately.

Borchardt is injury prone so there wouldn't be too many tears shed if he had to go. On the other hand, he does have some skill at a position of need, so you don't want to just give him away.

Beyond those two, I find it hard to label any of our guys as potential "throw ins." Perhaps a better term might be "bargaining chips." Either way, it kind of makes them sound more like commodities than people, but this is the odd world we live in.

Banks is the most widely circulated name since he does have some PG experience and has talent and athleticism to spare. He's also not Doc's ideal PG and Danny is stocking up on PGs, so you do the math. Still, talented point guards are hard to find and are of high value on the market (especially at his low price).

Reed rarely saw the light of day last year and plays our most crowded position, so you have to consider him. On the other hand, all the players rave about his defensive abilities and he blossomed in the summer league. You'd hate to see him go, but at the right price, you would think he'd be available.

Perkins is a guy that I have high hopes for, especially considering the position he plays and the bond he has with Al. However, if we got a young, legit center in return for him, it could be arranged.

Anyone beyond that (Allen, West) would have to be considered more than a throw in as both have the ability to start on this team. We have some rookies and free agent signings that are unlikely to get dealt. Nobody's getting Green or Jefferson.

So it seems that Danny has once again accumulated tradable assets. Multiple second rounders, a trade exception, several young players with small contracts all could make a deal go down smooth. It's just a matter of what he's buying and who would be willing to deal.

Now before you get on my case about trying to get rid of all our wonderful young talent, that isn't the intention here at all. I'm just looking realistically at the roster and trying to see who might be included in a deal. If I had my way, all of them would be around for banner 17.

Walker's Deal Got Adjusted

2005-08-21T07:15:00.000-04:00

We all knew that Walker's knees were starting to give him trouble. Shira Springer reports that it was enough of a concern that it jeapordized the trade and his contract had to be altered to get it done. Bob Sugar,... I mean Mark Bartelstein was in full damage control mode with some of his quotes, refusing to admit that they gave up guaranteed years to get it done.

The article also confirms the C's interest in signing Dickau.

''He's a veteran presence," said Ainge. ''He's been around. He really got some good experience last year. I've always liked him. I liked him in college [at Gonzaga].

Bartelstein also represents Dickau. Anyone see a trend here?

Point Guard by Committee?

2005-08-20T09:38:00.000-04:00

If the Celtics do sign Dan Dickau, they will have 5 point guards under contract. Apparently this is the veteran point guard that we were looking for all summer. Of course he's only slightly more veteran than Marcus Banks and has been tossed around the league like a hot potato. Still, Dickau had some great success running the point for New Orleans last year. The Hornets, however, drafted Chris Paul and even with a rookie point guard, didn't feel the need to keep Dan around.

Dickau can score and he can pass, as evidenced by his 12.5 points and 4.9 assists averages from last year. His PER was 14.87 for those scoring at home. He became a fan favorite down in Mardi Gras Land and gave that team a spark when it didn't have much to play for. Still, from everything that I've read, the floor slants very much towards the offensive side for him. I think it was Kenny Smith on draft night that said "he couldn't guard this chair!" He's also not much of an athlete and lacks quickness (might be why he struggles defensively).

If this were football, we'd be all set with an offensive PG in Dickau and a defensive one in Banks. However, with the exception of late game substitutions, it doesn't really work that way in basketball. We'll see if Delonte West can take the best of both worlds and beat them both out in camp. However, he is still young himself and has virtually no experience running a team. Even the best young point guards take a year or two just to get accustomed to the position.

Throw in the two rookies Greene and Bynum, and you've got yourself a deep position. Or is the word "crowded?" Its difficult to know why we signed both of these guys unless Danny has something else up his sleeve.

For one thing, the roster is getting very crowded now. The max you can have on the roster is 15. You can put 2 players in the D-League, but they still count against your roster number. If you count Borchardt and Woods on the roster and add in the recently signed Gomes, Bynum, and (potentially) Dickau. That balloons the roster to 18. It sounds more and more like there is going to be a trade of multiple players going out of town.

If there are no trades, you would have to cut three players just to get to the roster minimum. I'm not sure when you have to do that, and it could all play out in training camp. If that was the case, the most likely candidates are Woods, Borchardt, and Bynum. But why sign Bynum just to cut him? I'd prefer to keep Borchardt too.

GMs around the league say that Ainge is willing to part with Banks to dump a contract like Blount's. If that were the case, and he can't get a point guard back in the deal, then it would make sense to sign Greene and Bynum and let them shore up the position behind Dickau and West. It seems less likely, but there is the chance that Ainge has something even bigger up his sleeve too. We'll just have to wait and see.

In case you were wondering, here is how the lineup looks to me as of now:

1 - Dickau, West, Banks, Greene, Bynum
2 - Davis, Allen, Green
3 - Pierce, Reed, Gomes, (Woods)
4 - Jefferson, Scalabrine
5 - LaFrentz, Perkins, Blount, Borchardt

Also, here is an old article on Dickau that I found on a Google search.

Dickau next?

2005-08-20T06:52:00.000-04:00

Boston Herald (Bulpett):

"The Celtics' point is becoming a more crowded place by the day. According to sources, the club is on the verge of signing 26-year-old veteran Dan Dickau.

Barring a trade to loosen the logjam, the 6-footer will be joined in training camp by holdovers Marcus Banks and Delonte West, second-round draft pick Orien Greene and rookie free agent Will Bynum, who was signed yesterday to a two-year contract (with a guarantee on just the first of those)."

Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge had said he wanted to add some experience to the position, and the acquisition of Dickau will do that - barely. The Gonzaga product has been in the league three seasons and has been the property of six NBA teams, playing for four of them.

Dickau got his best chance last year after an early season move from Dallas to New Orleans. In 67 games for the Hornets, he started 46 and averaged 13.2 points and 5.2 assists in 31.0 minutes. He has career-highs of 28 points and 16 assists.

Will Bynum Signed

2005-08-19T19:19:00.000-04:00

As reported on the team's website.

Ladies and gents, our point guard lineup currently consists of Delonte West, Marcus Banks, Orien Greene, and Will Bynum. Doing some quick math, this puts our roster at 17. We know that Woods will be cut any day, but will Borchardt be cut as well?

It appears that the Celtics will either be painfully young this year, or one of these guys is out the door. Everyone's looking at you Marcus.

On the other hand, if it is just a training camp contract, this could be much ado about nothing.

PERing Like A Kitten

2005-08-19T08:26:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned in the past, I'm no statistician and I'm not a basketball stat-geek like John Hollinger or the Knickerblogger.

However, I do have an appreciation for stats in sports and I value the added insight you can get from stats. In particular, the PER stat seems remarkably telling when evaluating a player's offensive production. At the very least, it gives a starting point when you want to enter into discussions about ranking players. Again, this is an offensive stat only and ignores defense, leadership, and other intangibles. But since its the offseason, why not look at the C's PER stats from last year and pontificate on their meanings?

Here is the list (see details here)

NAME -- PER
Paul Pierce -- 21.72
Raef LaFrentz -- 17.23
Al Jefferson -- 16.58
Gary Payton -- 15.1
Antoine Walker -- 14.96
Ricky Davis -- 14.93
Tony Allen -- 14.65
Mark Blount -- 12.5
Marcus Banks -- 12.3
Delonte West -- 12.28
Kendrick Perkins -- 11.14
Brian Scalabrine -- 11.02
Curtis Borchardt -- 9.35

So here are some things that jump out the most to me.

1. Paul Pierce is easily our best player.
I know, I know. Well DUH! However, with all the talk about Paul not being the right fit for this team and his attitude needing adjusting, the one constant is that the guy can flat out play. He didn't even really get going till sometime close to the all star break since he had trouble initially adjusting to Doc's system. I wonder how well he'll do after his second training camp and a year of practice with it. Of note, Paul ranked 17th overall in PER last year.
Compare with: Shawn Marion (21.59), Larry Hughes (21.52), Ray Allen (20.86)

2. Raef LaFrentz and Al Jefferson are 2 and 3.
It is comforting to know that the 2nd highest paid guy and the future of the franchise are ranked so high. They technically play the same positions (4/5) but they couldn't be more different in every other way. One is a finesse player and long range specialist while the other is a low post banger with a soft touch around the hoop. But baring unforseen circumstances, we're going to see both of them around for a while and I'm pretty happy about that.
Compare with: Kenyon Martin (17.42), Dwight Howard (17.16), Rasheed Wallace (16.32)

3. Ricky Davis and Tony Allen are just about even.
Talk about a battle for the starting spot! I always considered Davis the better offensive player, but if this stat is any indication, Allen is not far behind. Plus, he was just a rookie that hit the wall hard last year. If he keeps improving, he could become a better all around player than Davis hands down. And that is saying something since I think Davis could have a shot at the All Star game this year (there, I said it).
Compare with: Rip Hamilton (15.94), Ben Gordon (14.85), Michael Finley (14.26)

4. Blount really is bad.
What more can be said about this than has already been said? Stonehands had the highest turn-over ratio on the team (shocking!). Just look at the comparisons.
Compare with: Mikki Moore (12.66), Adonal Foyle (12.63), Rasho Nesterovic (11.96)

5. Our top 2 point guards are near the bottom in PER.
This is the most troubling. In the case of West, I'm hoping it has something to do with lack of playing time skewing the numbers. (Side note, that should be somewhat considered in the PERs of Al and Perk too) However, this does add weight to the arguement that we need to add a veteran point guard. Then again, that's easier said. At least Banks plays top-notch defense (and West is no slouch), but he's going to have to make further strides this year if he's going to be around much longer.
Compare with: Earl Watson (13.07), Troy Hudson (12.05), Carlos Arroyo (11.40)

Other Notes: Walker is a stat man's worst nightmare. His fans will point out that his intangibles make up for a lot of sins. I'll always love him, but this is one reason why I'm glad he's not on our team anymore. Gary looks about right. His lack of defense and running pull him down more in my book, but when he ran the offense in the half court, it worked more often than not. Scalabrine better bring some huge intangibles. I guess this is why Hollinger hates his signing. By the way, guess who was dead last on the PER list: Old friend Waltah (8.05).

So there you have it. Enough stats to get you all talking for a while. I can't wait to see what PERs our rookies and young players produce this year.

Denver Non-Rumor

2005-08-19T07:36:00.000-04:00

When is a rumor not a rumor? When it is so unlikely that it hardly needs to be mentioned. On the other hand, if you must...

Baby Steps

2005-08-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

Adrian Wojnarowski seems to dig what Ainge is doing. Refering to the reasons why the "East is least no more," he states:

The Celtics' Baby Steps:
Doc Rivers has to hate this teenybop movement, but the Celtics couldn't pass on spectacular prep star Gerald Green in the first round of June's draft. He was freakish in the summer league. Al Jefferson, a brute force, has turned out to be a wise choice as Danny Ainge's No. 1 pick of a year ago, and it will be frightening to watch this core develop. And Brian Scalabrine is an underrated signing -- even at $15 million for five years -- what with his versatility and an unparalleled work ethic that will bode well with so many impressionable young minds on the roster.

This isn't the old Eastern Conference in which Paul Pierce's gunning can get the Celts into the postseason, but you have to love Ainge's plan to get young and talented through the draft, get under the cap, and then ultimately go for it in free agency.

Starving

2005-08-18T07:52:00.000-04:00

I gotta tell you. I'm so starving for Celtics news, I even resorted to going to the official team site! (Can you believe there is 2 more months of offseason to go?) There is the typical team fluff and propaganda, and in their infinate wisdom, RealGM thinks that Paul is being phased out of the site (huh?), but the gem of the site seems to be Delonte's Diary. I mean, he's no Paul Shirley in the comic sense. But the kid really is thoughtful and intelligent and he's a good writer to boot.

Other than that, there's not much more out there on the net. Then again, perhaps that is why you are here. Fear not, I've got some topics I want to go over soon and some articles brewing in my head (who knows, maybe even a rant or two). I'm still thinking that Danny is looking for a big move, but he's also probably prepared to start the season as is (maybe adding that vet PG on the cheap). Still, at the very least, training camp will provide lots of questions and answers (and then probably even more questions). So hang in there, we'll help you get through summer. Till then, enjoy your complimentary wallpapers.

Run! Run! Run!

2005-08-16T23:05:00.000-04:00

More youth in rotation = more fresh legs for running... and dunking.

They may be too young to be all that good, but they will be entertaining.

For more entertainment, check out the latest Carnival of the NBA at TrueHoop.com

Happy To Have Raef Around

2005-08-16T00:34:00.000-04:00

Some are surprised by the fact that the C's did not waive Raef LaFrentz to get potential luxury tax savings down the line. Some are even disappointed. I'm not sure why. I'm happy to have Raef on the team.

Is he overpaid? Sure. Nobody can make a case that Raef is worth the $9.9 million that he'll bring home this year. Nor will he ever reach a level that would justify the 4 years and $40+ million left on his contract.

On the other hand, if you had a dime for every big man that was overpaid in the NBA, you could pay Raef's salary (well, for like an hour or so). It is not an ideal situation by any means, but it is a common one. Arguing over releasing him or not is a moot point now. Still, I wanted to say that I'm glad he's around (in spite of his pricetag).

He brings a calming, veteran presence. He works hard at his rehab, and plays hard on the court. He's had this game taken from him, so it shows how much he wants to be out there. That alone is a great example. Perhaps being a year removed from his surgery will bring a less painful and more productive season as well.

He doesn't have the lateral movement that he once had, making him a liability at times on the defensive end. However, he has shown the ability to put the screws on opposing post players when called upon. He's especially handy on the weak side, often coming up with blocks and rebounds. And in case you missed it, he can shoot the ball pretty well too.

Not only that, but he gives us a legit starting center option to use instead of the growing Perkins or the sinking Blount. He'll compliment Al's low post game by working the high post.

With all that said, I'm sure if there was a deal where we could relieve ourselves of his contract and not lose too much in productivity (ie. picking up a cheaper option or having a current player step up), then obviously you do it. But as long as we are still paying him, I'm inclined to see him out there working for his money.

Gin Baker Waived

2005-08-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

Raef and Blount remain on the team.

Amnesty Watch

2005-08-15T08:27:00.000-04:00

It is finally the last day for waiving Amnesty contracts, so some things should shake out of the market in the coming days. First of all, any useful players that teams have been considering waiving are being shopped like used cars. Finley in particular is for sale to the highest non-West-contender bidder. I also think that this is holding up some trade talks as teams want to wait and see who hits the market and what players can be had for ten cents on the dollar.

Already waived are players like Dereck Anderson, Brian Grant, Aaron McKie, and Doug Christie. Others that should be cut include old friend Ron Mercer. It sounds like the Pacers might waive Reggie Miller's contract, but only if they are 100% sure he's retired.

In a shocking turn of events, the so called "Alan Houston Rule" may not be used on Alan Houston. I guess if he retires they can save even more money than by waiving him. That would allow the Knicks to use the rule on one of their other bloated contracts. Reportedly Jerome Williams (but really, it could be any one of 3 or 4 players).

Don't hold your breath if you are waiting on any current Celtics to be cut, for reasons that we've gone over already. I still think the best option is for the C's to waive Vin Baker's dead money. It won't save us any cap money, and won't matter this year since we are nowhere near the luxury threshold. However, if we decided to spend big next year, it would give us $5M more in grace money under the luxury threshold. Every little bit helps.

If the C's were thinking of trading Blount or Raef, you would likely see other teams hold off on such a deal until they were sure the C's were not going to release them under the amnesty rule.

This is kind of off the cuff, and I'm not sure how legal it is, but I suppose you could also see a team work out a complex trade where another team with an overpaid player releases that player in return for compensation (players, picks, money, etc.). However, making sure that the player wanted to go to the team making the deal would likely involve some sort of tampering, so again, don't hold your breath.

Finally, the waived players will have to find new homes, and since they will be double-dipping, they are expected to settle for smallish contracts (though through some complicated pro-rating rule, they won't get their money all at once, so they'll still want as much money as possible). Will the C's be able to pick up any players on the cheap? I think it could be possible, but probably only if the player is a point guard willing to take just over a million a year.

Regardless, we'll find out sometime in the next few hours who is out there. Then we'll see what that means to the market.

Useful Links: Amnesty Clause FAQ | Cut so far

Curtis Borc-hurt

2005-08-14T06:55:00.000-04:00

Shira Springer gives a nice rundown on Curtis Borchardt's injury woes.

Since his freshman year at Stanford, Borchardt has struggled to stay healthy. He fractured his right foot twice in college, undergoing surgery to repair the second break his sophomore year.

After his junior year, he left school for the NBA, but before he could begin his rookie season with Utah, Borchardt fractured his right foot again and underwent more surgery, missing the entire year.

Just before the start of his second year, he broke his left hand and missed four weeks. Later in his second season, he suffered a season-ending right wrist fracture. Last year with the Jazz, his right foot swelled up, but a stint on the injured list was all he needed to heal. He suffered some right knee soreness at the end of the season but said that is gone.

With a new offseason strength and conditioning routine, Borchardt believes he will remain injury-free with the Celtics.

That last line cracks me up.

Pargo Stick Anyone?

2005-08-13T17:57:00.000-04:00

From the Chicago Tribune:

Bulls guard Jannero Pargo visited Cleveland on Friday and has drawn interest from Toronto, Miami, and Boston, agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed.

Sam I Am To Clipperland

2005-08-13T06:40:00.000-04:00

With Marco (Polo) going to the TWolves.

Is this the precursor to a Pierce trade? Unlikely. It's more likely that it is plan B. I would imagine that if they couldn't get Pierce for a Maggette/Jaric swap, they went with option B that gets them a 1 year placeholder at PG (while Livingston develops) and a first round pick to boot.

If you like Jaric, it's a good trade for both teams. I'm not much of a fan of him, so I'm just glad that neither he nor Cassell are coming here.

Clippers Want Pierce

2005-08-12T07:02:00.000-04:00

From Sam Amico:

Three sources told me in the last two days that the Clips have approached Boston about the availibility of Paul Pierce. That's all they said. I'll have a story in the morning.

Here is the story.

If this is the case, I hope that they would now be willing to include Livingston in the deal. (It was reported that when they asked about Pierce in the past, the C's asked about Livingston and were hung up on) Wilcox just had his gun charges dropped in court. Maybe they think he's more marketable now. I wonder about the timing of this interest.

I don't think the Clips would have to match salaries as they are under the cap. They could take on extra salary to make it work. Before you snort up in your coffee, remember that they were ready to break the bank for Kobe last year and Ray Allen this year. As Amico points out, they just signed Mobley, so any deal would likely see Maggette going out. A Brand, Pierce, Mobley lineup is pretty strong.

I'm not a huge fan of Marko Jaric, so a sign-and-trade is not my idea of a great add-on. In fact, it is hard for me to come up with a package other than Livingston and Maggette for Pierce and Banks. You can play with adding in Wilcox and/or Kaman on their side and maybe some more young players on our side. I think the Clippers would break the bank for Pierce, but I really doubt that they would take our bad salaries too.

So that's the rumor to think about over the weekend. We'll see if anything develops from it and of course you can always find the latest here.

Getting Defensive

2005-08-11T07:45:00.000-04:00

The great Red Auerbach coached Celtic teams of yore did two things really well. Running and defense.

It's all well and good that this team can score with the best of them. I think they are coming around on the running and figure to emphasize that even more with a younger lineup. What concerns me, however, is the defense.

Sure, we scored 101.3 points per game last year. We also gave up 100.4 points. For those scoring at home, the Pistons and Spurs led the league, allowing under 90 points per game. About the only thing I miss from the O'Brien era is the emphasis on defense. It didn't work against the better teams in the league, but at least the emphasis and effort was there.

So do we have any hope for this team? Sure. We've been drafting and developing some great defensive players. If each Celtic were to draft up a resume, listing their best qualities first, you'd see defense towards the top of the list for Marcus Banks, Tony Allen, Justin Reed, Kendrick Perkins, and Orien Greene. When the spirit moves them, our veterans (Pierce, Davis, LaFrentz, and even Blount) have shown shut-down ability. But that's not a consistent, reliable effort you can hang your hat on.

I dislike leaning on numbers too much as I believe in the old adage; "There are lies, damn lies, and statistics." However, they can develop a hazy picture for you to build on. Recently Dan Rosenbaum published his Defensive Ratings. Some of the numbers might surprise you.

Tony Allen was ranked the top defensive shooting guard. Marcus Banks was ranked the 2nd best defensive point guard and Paul Pierce the 5th best small forward. On the other hand, right near the bottom of their positions we see Ricky Davis, Raef LaFrentz, Mark Blount, Al Jefferson, and the recently departed Antoine Walker.

Now it doesn't take a statistician to tell you that these numbers have varying degrees of accuracy. There are 100 different reasons why they could be skewed in one direction or the other. For instance, I don't remember Ben Gordon being any great shakes on defense, but there he is at number 2 on the list behind Allen. However, the big picture can tell us a little bit of the story. Clearly our perimeter defense was ranked miles ahead of our interior D.

Hopefully we can count on Reed, Perkins, and Scalabrine to upgrade our interior defense somewhat. Taking Walker out of the mix, according to the stats, should help matters too. But I have no delusions that we'll start shutting teams down to the low 90's any time soon.

The team used last year to focus on and develop an offensive system. That's fine. After years of O'Brien chuck and duck, this was a welcome change. However, I hope that with that offensive system established, they can spend the next year or two building upon that and installing the running game and defensive system that would make this team complete.

So far, I'm not impressed with Doc's stress on defense. He pays it lip service during the year, but he never taught it in training camp and during the season it is too late. In addition, he hasn't consistently doled out playing time according to a player's defense. Still, if you keep the long term agenda in mind, you can give him a mulligan on year one and look for it in year two. If it isn't a main emphasis in training camp, red flags will be waving frantically.

On the other hand, Doc has a golden opportunity to teach these young players how to play winning defense and install a commitment to it in the team's psyche. That's the sort of thing that would even make Red proud.

Faith

2005-08-10T07:54:00.000-04:00

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. - Heb 11:1

The topic du jour seems to be comparing our team now as opposed to the team from last year (pre Walker trade). The most obvious difference is Payton. Gone will be his steady veteran hand at the point. However, also gone will be his tendancy to walk the ball up and run plays that the coach didn't call. Other than that, you can sub Scalabrine in for Googs and come out on top. Sub in some young players for Jiri, and based on his play last year, we probably come out on top again. Even if you call it even on those, there's not that much drop off.

Still, much of the East has made moves to get better (even if they don't all work out - see New Jersey). So can we rest on our laurels and expect an over .500 team? Perhaps.

The key is with the kids. Our starting lineup could feature Delonte West, Tony Allen, and Al Jefferson. Basically, last year's draft class (and Reed should get some increased minutes as well). This is basically where the kid gloves come off and the young players start to earn their keep. A lot of faith is being put in the younger players on this team, and they'll sink or swim this year.

When it comes to our record, its not a matter of what personel moves we made this offseason. Our record will simply be a reflection of how fast our young players mature and develop into their roles on this team. Its that simple.

Was Al Jefferson good enough to be a starter last year? Not until the very end (if then). If he's good enough to be a solid NBA starter this year, that will be huge. If he continues to show his star promise, all the better. He's got low post instincts that can't be taught and a knack for getting rebounds that I wish could be taught to one of our post men. However, if he has a sophmore slump or turns out to be fools gold (the latter seems less likely), then it could be devestating for this team - at least in the short term.

What about putting the offense in the hands of a guy who only saw a handful of games his rookie year? Delonte West looks and sounds like a coach's dream. He has court awareness and a great jumper. But so did Jiri Welsch. Things can sour quickly in this league. On the other hand, Delonte could do what Kirk Hinrich has done in Chicago, or better.

Tony Allen hit the wall hard last year. Many are doubting him now because of how he tailed off at the end of the season. I am much more optimistic. Of course it always comes back to my defensive bias. But I like a guy that can be a disrupitve force on D, fill the lanes on the break, and give you a few "wow" moments a game. If he ever gets centered and focused, look out. Could he continue his tail off? Sure. But if he does, there is a fleet of guys ready to fill in if he does.

Don't sleep on Kendrick Perkins either. He might not ever reach the levels that Al could, but he's got the make up of a solid NBA center. I don't need to tell you how rare that is. He's got the size already, he's got a mean streak and a nose for the ball. If we can keep him out of foul trouble and continue his learning curve, he could be the anchor of the defense and the starter of many fast breaks.

I've already gone over Marcus Banks, but it is worth mentioning that he made some great strides at the end of the season where he was being used for long stretches at a time. If he can continue his growth along the learning curve, he could be this team's starting point guard. If not, he could still be a bargaining chip.

Ignoring for the minute that Ricky Davis is far from a mid-life crisis, we also have Justin Reed and Ryan Gomes that are showing more promise by the day. Neither promises to be a star in the traditional sense of the word. However, each has many qualities that you look for in role players. I could see one or both guys becoming glue guys in the fashion of Eric Williams. I'll use this space to squeeze in Orien Greene as well. A good backup PG is rare in this league. Lets see if he can fill that role. If these players don't step up, the team will have to spend Scalabrine money on another role player (or players) to fill that need in years to come. If they do step up, the team can save that money for resigning all these youngsters.

But that's not all! Way down there at the end of the bench could be the most prized jewel of all. The skinny high school kid with the short finger might become the best player on this team. Of course he could be a collosal flop in the mold of a Kedrick Brown, but if we can keep him away from too many cheeseburgers, we'll have one step in the right direction. Forgetting for a moment this kid's insane hops and penchant for the highlight real, you must not forget the silky smooth jumper that he already has. Unlike many phenoms, he won't need to be taught how to keep his elbow in and follow through. He will need a lot of work on defensive rotations and ball movement, but that is easy enough to pick up in time. Once this kid learns the ropes of the NBA, there's really no upward ceiling.

So cheer up. Maybe we won't make any more moves this offseason (though I won't stop rumor-mongoring). Perhaps the biggest difference between this team and last year's edition will be the rookies and the valuable experience the non-rookies gained in the last year. Doc has done a good job so far of working in the younger players. Can we expect them all to turn into stars? Not a chance. Can we expect them all to improve from last year? I think so.

Can we count on that? Well, I guess we just have to have faith.

Daydreaming

2005-08-09T16:48:00.000-04:00

It has been a pretty slow day, and I thought I'd give you something to daydream about. That's the future right there folks.

Who Do You Believe?

2005-08-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

Kevin O'Connor (Utah Jazz senior vice president of basketball operations), came out and gave his best denial of the Boozer/Harpring rumors.

"That's an absolute lie. It's an absolute lie," O'Connor said Monday.

Told it was purportedly an unidentified NBA GM who said that, O'Connor said, "Well, he's a liar, and you can write that. I wish some of these people would step forward and say this is the guy. Put your name next to it.

"We're not shopping them and it's an absolute lie," O'Connor said.

On one hand, I'd like to believe him. On the other hand, when it comes off that strong, its starts to sound familiar (ie Raffy's "I have never, ever taken seroids...").

The unnamed GM seems to be sticking to his story. He also indicates what we've all suspected for some time now. Paul is available, though not necessarily in this trade rumor.

Oh yeah, and the Globe and Herald both have the obligitory "lets look at the schedule" mini-articles.

C's Interested in Both Boozer and Harpring

2005-08-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

By now most of you have seen the article indicating that Boston was one of the teams interested in Boozer and/or Harpring. As the curious type (ok, I'm obsessed with C's info), I wrote to the author (Sam Amico) asking if this info had anything to do with Paul Pierce. He was kind enough to write back and assured me that there was no mention of Paul Pierce from his source. (good)

One extra bit that he mentioned was that according to the source, the C's are in fact interested in both Harpring and Boozer. If you are going to the message board on this, please place your comments and trade ideas in this thread.

The same question arises with Boozer as many had with Walker. Would he stand in Al Jefferson's way at PF? I don't know how well Boozer could handle the center spot and I don't want to yank Jefferson around from position to position. The interest in Harpring is also somewhat confusing given the number of 3's that we have, but it makes more sense when you factor in his expiring contract.

Last Days?

2005-08-08T07:36:00.000-04:00

Like it or not, the odds on Paul Pierce finishing his career as a Boston Celtic are getting longer by the day. Just look at the writing on the wall.

You can go back as far as the day Ainge took over. He was critical of Walker and Pierce as an announcer, so people could sense that something was up. (Correction, he was mostly critical of Walker, but also of the C's style of play in general. I don't think he ever said anything directly dismissive about Paul) Walker was dealt, Pierce was not. Was that a vote of confidence or a 2 year try out? Maybe he hasn't passed the test and Danny is ready to move on.

More signs are the constant rumors that have been circulating since last year's trading deadline. Since Ainge has made it known that nobody is untouchable, Pierce has had to see his name be linked to deals involving Ray Allen (deadline), the 3rd pick in the draft (the Portland rumor), and now Bonzi Wells (of all people). I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting, but those are the big ones that pop into my head. If these are the ones we know about; just how many times do you think Paul has been discussed that we don't know about?

Given the youthful direction the team is taking, it might not even make sense to keep Paul around for too long. If he was a lunchpail worker who never griped and simply went about his business, he might be the perfect guy to hold the fort and bridge the gap until the Jefferson/Green era took full effect. Instead, since he is an emotional, proud, and somewhat needy star, he's not too keen on accepting a rebuilding year or two.

As a Paul Pierce fan, I hate all of this. I love the fact that he can score with anyone in the league. I really love that he does it by driving the lane and getting to the line - thus getting free points and putting the other team at a disadvantage. I love that he rebounds as well as any guard/forward in the league. I love that he is an exceptional passer. All these things make him very valuable to this team (and very attractive to other teams).

But even as a fan of his work, I understand and admit that he's got his share of issues. Regardless of what his friend Antoine might say, he'll never be a true team leader. He can be "a" leader, but not "the" leader. He needs what some call an alpha dog to go alongside. Call it the Scottie Pippen syndrome. He is also too moody for his own good. It effects his game when he's complaining to refs, defying his coach, and generally sulking when things don't go his way. I've never heard of him being a bad treammate, but indirectly these things can't help the team dynamic. The painful way the playoffs ended (Pierce's ejection, the 7th game collapse) served as an illustration for all that is wrong with Paul. Basically it was the chance for all of Pierce's critics to say, "See! This is what I'm talking about!"

So he has his strengths and weaknesses. He's a very valuable player. I guess it is just a question of "how valuable?" When the value that is offered in trade reaches a point that is higher than where Danny values him for this team, then he will have played his last game as a Celtic. That could happen this offseason, this season, or perhaps a long time from now. However, signs continue to point to a Celtics future without number 34 in the starting lineup.

Sunday Notes - Pierce, Banks, Amnesty?

2005-08-07T08:22:00.000-04:00

commercialappeal.com:

"Grizzly gossip from the trading frenzy revealed that among the first Wells deals proposed involved Boston and Paul Pierce. The teams couldn't agree on the complete package but don't rule out the Griz talking to Boston before training camp"

Boston Globe:

Trade rumors have swirled around Celtics point guard Marcus Banks throughout the summer. Danny Ainge dismisses such talk with a laugh, and Banks's agent agrees. ''I don't think that they're looking to move him," said Mike Higgins. ''I think they're looking to go into the season with Marcus and Delonte [West] and let them fight for the starting job."

Orlando Sentinel:

One team the Magic will be watching closely this week is the Boston Celtics, who are expected to waive either Raef LaFrentz or Mark Blount under the league's amnesty provision. Orlando would be interested in either one. And when the Magic officially waive Christie this week, watch for several teams to give him a call.

Personally I don't believe the Amnesty rumor one bit, but I guess we'll find out for sure in about a week. The deadline is Aug. 15 for teams to make the cuts.

Odd Man Out?

2005-08-06T07:39:00.000-04:00

Delonte West has practially been handed the starting point guard position this offseason. Orien Greene was given a 3 year deal without playing a single game (even in the summer league). The C's are also looking for a veteran point guard with their $1.6M exception money. So where does that leave Marcus Banks? Rumored to be the bait that gets Blount out of town, thats where.

What happened to this guy? How did he go from being Danny's hand picked point guard to being the least valuable Young Gun? I mean, this time 2 years ago, I was gushing over Marcus after seeing him in only one summer league game (they'll let anyone write those things won't they?). He's got all the tools to be a good to great point guard in this league. Why can't he do that here?

Truth be told, I'm still a fan of Marcus. I've come back down to earth a great deal on his ability to run an offense. In fact, I'd go so far as to say its a struggle for him. However, I think that he has real value to this team, in particular if they continue to stress running the ball and playing defense.

Too many times last year, we let Gary Payton walk the ball up the court instead of pushing it down the defense's throat. At least Marcus would huff it up the court, often times blowing past his shocked looking teammates that should have been filling the lanes around him. In fact, he seemed to do the best when he was working on that second unit that would actually run with him. Plus, I always have a weak spot for a guy that plays good defense and enjoys doing it.

Still, he's never really run the offense the way Doc wants and you can tell he's no longer in Danny's long range plans. Delonte doesn't have his athletic talent, but he's got the head that coaches gush about.

So I guess if you are convinced that a guy is never going to be your main man, and you can sell him off on a team that will pay top dollar for his potential, then you sell high and wish him well.

Then again, I'd still be happy with him being a solid second option and keeping Flash and Cash together for at least another season. But what do I know?

What Do We Do With Blount?

2005-08-04T22:23:00.000-04:00

He's become a punchline. A joke. A sad joke that isn't worth laughing at. But what do we do about it? What can we do?

First of all, perhaps we need a little perspective. It is fine to dismiss Mark Blount as utterly useless when talking about him on a message board, but in real life, he does register a pulse. He's a veteran, even if he doesn't always act like one. He's got playoff experience, even though that didn't do him any good on the bench of the last few games against the Pacers. He's a legit seven footer, even though he spends the bulk of his time at the elbows and doesn't rebound.

I'm going to play bleeding-heart devils-advocate here for a minute. Suppose he's got a legitimate set of excuses to explain away his horrible dropoff in production. He did lose the coach that believed in him and moved him from 12th man to starter on a playoff team. He's had to adapt to a new system that even Paul Pierce struggled with.

Think about the time when he was most successful (if you can remember back that far). He was buoyed a great deal by the Chucky Atkins trade. For once in his life, he had a solid pick-n-roll point guard that would pull the defender away from the basket and deliver the ball to Mark as he cut to the lane. It was a pure, isolation, two man game that was simple and easy to understand. He even had Brandon Hunter throwing bodies around and boxing out so all he had to do was open up his hands and grab a ball out the air. He even worked well in the defensive rotations that Dick Harter had been teaching him the last several years running.

Now think about last year. New coach. New offensive system based on movement. New point guard that would rather post up than pick and roll. Often playing next to Raef who plays on the perimeter a lot. Best friend traded away (at his request) mid season. Fans breathing down his neck for his back to back to back 2 rebound performances. I guess I can see why the guy would sulk.

That's all well and good, but at the money he's making, there really are no excuses good enough. You earn your money or you'll hear it from the fans.

One thing that seems clear about Mark is that he's a proud man. I don't think he ever really gave up all hope and completely quit. I think he was just plain lost in a new system that didn't fit his strengths. On the other hand, I think he was extremely frustrated and didn't really know how to express that. I think he started blaming his troubles on the people around him and making excuses as I've laid out above. I think after a while, he might have even started wondering "why even bother?" and let up a little.

Oh man, if there is one sin that Celtics fans cannot forgive, it is lack of hustle. Give me a completely unskilled player with lots of heart over a skilled player with no heart any day. Mark was always marginally skilled, but we were ok with that when he was making small money and anything he gave us was a bonus. Now that he makes starter money, it kills us to see him sluffing down the court, grim look on his face, waving his arms at an opponent driving right by him. Basically he looks like he's dogging it.

But what do we do about it? Is he enough of a clubhouse cancer and payroll drain that we get rid of him at all costs? Is it worth throwing in Banks and giving up hope on a young point guard with a world of talent (if not smarts ...yet)? It seems like the C's are at that point. Will another team bite? Will we get anything of worth in return? Cap space at least? A backup point guard? Is it worth swapping him for another bad salary just to get his attitude out the door?

Or do we gamble on keeping him around? Gabe has told us that the C's aren't as sour on him as we all are. He's performed before. He's had that 15 footer all along (even this last year). On occasion he even will play defense. Is he salvagable?

Aside from some roster tweaking and a backup point guard signing, this seems to be the last question of the summer. We'll see how Danny plays it.

"Vince Carter, The Sequel"?

2005-08-04T11:43:00.000-04:00

For those that missed it yesterday, Simmons shared his thoughts on the Mega-Deal. I always enjoy his stuff and agreed with him right up until he said this:

6. With that said, not only do the Celtics look like a 25-win team right now, I have a feeling that Paul Pierce will be going into Full Sabotage Mode by Thanksgiving to force a trade to a winning team. Let's hope we don't have Vince Carter, The Sequel on our hands.

I understand where he's coming from but I disagree. I think we have a minimum of 35 wins in us for next year. The only way we drop below that number is if Pierce really does pull a Vince.

I don't really have any fear that this is going to happen. I admit he might be traded and I think at this point he might even welcome a trade. However, despite the fan frustrations with some of Paul's actions and general attitude, one thing we've always seen from Paul is effort. He would never dog it the way Vince did. You can't look at what he does day in and day out and accuse him of not trying his hardest.

On the other hand, I'm probably taking Bill a little too literally here. All cases are different. A worst case scenario for Paul might look something like him ignoring Doc in the huddle, running his own plays, and making it clear to Danny that he wants out. If pressed, I would have to admit that the potential is there. I just don't think it will happen.

Cut Raef? No.

2005-08-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

Despite what you might read around the internet, lets clear up one thing. Based on what Gabe and I have heard coming from the team, there are no plans to cut Raef LaFrentz with the Amnesty Rule. There's just no reason to do so.

1. They are nowhere near the luxury tax and don't figure to be for a couple of years. The only value this action would have would be to save the owners money in the event that they went over the tax. Again, there are no salary cap ramifications.
2. Raef should be healthy this year. He's going to be in the 2nd year of playing after rehabing, so he should be stronger than at any point that he's been on the team. It kills me that everyone thinks of him as old when he was a teamate of Paul's at Kansas. Neither guy has hit 30 yet.
3. Raef is a valuable player on this team. He's by far the best big man that we have. He plays solid defense. He rebounds. He plays well with Al Jefferson (inside-outside combination). He stretches defenses. And he's just an intelligent player. We need more of those, not fewer.

Don't believe the hype. Raef is a Celtic.

Bulpett's Nuggetts

2005-08-04T07:28:00.000-04:00

Steve Bulpett offers some nice news and notes today. Some highlights:

The club is still looking for a veteran point guard to steady the position

a number of league sources have said that, yes, the C's are doing their level best to find a new home for Mark Blount and his contract

the Celts are said to be willing to include Marcus Banks in the deal to make it work

The final calculations have been done, and the trade exception received by the Celtics from the Antoine Walker trade is $4,914,007, to which $100,000 can be added. ...the Celts will be able to take back a player (or players) with salary up to $5,014,007 without sending similar salaries in return.

My take: They've been saying all along that they are looking for a veteran point guard, so that is no great surprise. The fact that they are indeed willing to use Banks to dump Blount is a bit of a revelation. I still wonder if Eric Snow is a potential fit (equal salary to Blount). However, if the C's are intent on dumping Blount's salary and only taking on a shorter contract in return, I'm not sure what they can get. I think if they can't get a PG for Blount and Banks, the fallback plan is probably to use the semi-annual exception ($1.5M) on a minor free agent.

Cheap Seat Rant

2005-08-03T23:18:00.000-04:00

Green17 offers up a rant on the Cheap Seats called "Managing Expectaions" - check it out.

Depth Chart

2005-08-03T18:19:00.000-04:00

PG	SG	SF	PF	C
1a West	1a Allen	1 Pierce	1 Jefferson	1 LaFrentz
1b Banks	1b Davis	2 Reed	2 Scalabrine	2 Perkins
3 Greene	3 Green	3 Gomes		3 Blount
tbd FA				4 Borchardt

Kool Aid Still Served Here

2005-08-03T16:16:00.000-04:00

Apparently I struck a cord with all the diehards with my negative rant. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I'm not a gloom and doom, fire and brimstone fatalist. The timing of the rant comes on the heels of the Walker trade, but is not a direct result of it. I'm a big Walker fan, but I've supported trading him BOTH times. I'm just a fan sick of always being 2 years away from competing.

That said, I do think we are going in the right direction. I think we have as bright a future as any team in the league. It only makes sense to keep financial flexibility for when our kids mature into players that will be the foundation of our title runs. I'm giddy at the idea of watching Al Jefferson, Gerald Green and company grow and prosper wearing Celtic green.

I just like to rant a bit from time to time. Does that explain thing a little better?

The Trade Exception (FAQ)

2005-08-03T14:10:00.000-04:00

Many of you have pleaded with us to set the record straight on this. I'll do my best. (correct me if I'm wrong)

What did we get?
We got $5.5M to use before August 1, 2006

Can we couple that with a player to get a player with a larger salary?
No. We cannot add the exception to Blount's contract ($5.5M) and get a player making $11M. It just isn't allowed.

Can we combine this trade exception with another trade exception?
Again, no. Not allowed. The only way it works is if there are 2 players coming back that make $5.5M and whatever the other exception is.

Can you use just part of the exception? Say about $2M?
Yes. You can use part of it and keep the rest for later.

Can you use it to trade for a player making $6.875M (using the 125% rule)?
No. The 125% rule only applies to player for player trades.

Can we use this do complete a sign-and-trade with another team?
Yes. New Jersey did it this year to pick up SAR from Portland. Given the amount of the exception, this would be a good way to pick up a guy looking to sign for the MLE but wanting to get the extra year that only his current team can give him under the CBA.

Note: That last point is critical. Next year, we'll be able to offer MLE level guys more than any other team that doesn't have a trade exception.

My guess is that if we don't use this exception this year on a MLE player (and who's left really?), we'll save it to use next offseason. Perhaps we could pick up a player at the trade deadline, but it seems more realistic that it would happen in the offseason.

Did I cover everything? I'll update if there are more questions.

Rebuilding It Is ...Again

2005-08-03T12:56:00.000-04:00

20 years. Let that sink in.

I understand the positives of this deal and I understand the rationale behind it. Shoot, I don't know if I'd do anything different. What I do know is that I'm sick and tired of rebuilding.

First of all, make no mistake about it. Don't let Danny sell you on a shot that we have a competing this year. Could we once again squeak into the playoffs and even make some noise if we catch lightning in a bottle and the other teams collapse? Sure. Will we? Lets just say the odds are against it. The goal of this year is ringing loud and clear.

Play the kids.

Right or wrong, Jefferson, West, and maybe Allen will be starting this year. Banks, Perk, Reed, Gomes, and even Green and Greene will get time to run as well. The experience will be invaluable and I'll probably be very happy with the results at about this time next year. Who knows what numbers they'll be puting up even by the All Star break.

But right now the only number that keeps staring me in the face is 20. I'm a greedy bastard when it comes to winning. So is every Celtic fan over the age of 25 (or so). We remember the winning. We lived through the ML Carr rebuilding. He preached patience. We lived through the Pitino disaster. He lacked any hint of patience. We lived through Chris Wallace and Paul Gaston teasing us with some success only to throw out patience and Vin Baker our team all to pieces. Now we've got Danny Ainge, who by all accounts knows what he's doing. But once again, he's preaching patience and thats a tough pill to swallow 20 years in a row.

The one saving grace is that I have a super weak spot for developing young players. Watching Al Jefferson and company bloom this year will be a joy in of itself. Doc, for all his lack of game management skills, is by all accounts, perfect for this job. So that's something. But it doesn't replace winning. I know we'll win our share of games. With Paul around, we're guaranteed to hover at least around .500 and that means we aren't the Baby Bulls part II. This is good too. Losing breeds losing and we don't want that.

All I'm saying is that we've snapped the ball and punted this year. It better give us good field position next year or I'm gonna be really ticked.

Money for nothing and your picks for free

2005-08-03T03:09:00.000-04:00

By Gabe Kahn

[Note: You guys were right, I screwed up the 125% trade rule. That's what you get for waiting until 3am to do some of your research! With that in mind, the story has been updated, although that one component didn't change things all that much.]

The largest trade in NBA history, eh?

Yesterday's transaction that netted the Celtics two second round picks, Curtis Borchardt, Quyntel Woods, the rights to Albert Miralles, cash considerations and, all together, a $5.5 million trade exception doesn't really fit my description of a "blockbuster," given that the best players involved were, in no particular order, Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and Eddie Jones. However, it certainly was big, at least in terms of the number of bodies (and future bodies) being moved around. At last count it was up to 13 players and five teams. I would list them all here but I'm afraid I would run out of ink (rim shot!).

So let's schmooze for a bit about this monster.

I'm sure that the casual Celtic fan is looking at this transaction and wondering, "Why did the Celtics just trade a guy who averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds during his career for a couple of late draft picks and three players who might never play for Boston and might not be good enough to, either?"

The simplest answer to all of this was that the Celtics did not really trade Walker, they merely facilitated his departure, which was imminent. Antoine was an unrestricted free agent and, according to most sources, would have signed with the Heat for their Mid Level Exception if this deal hadn't worked out, leaving the Celtics with nothing in return for the veteran former All Star. By signing Walker to his brand new six-year, $53 million contract and then shipping him off, the Celtics were able to salvage something from a player that, by all indications, they had no interest in keeping.

Of course, the next question is why didn't the Celtics want 'Toine back? Firstly, the C's might have been interested in re-signing the player they drafted out of Kentucky in 1996 had he been willing to accept a shorter deal, in the three-year range. Reportedly, and not unexpectedly, he was not. Also, the organization was unhappy with the Celtics' play not too long after Walker returned to the team in February. Though the Green had been extremely active and efficient on offense prior to Walker's arrival, they adopted up a stand and shoot strategy after about 15 games with Walker back. The team believed that Walker was at fault for this. Finally, Celtics' Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge decided to emphasize the youth on this club and Walker would be taking the place of Al Jefferson in the starting lineup and at the end of games had he stayed. That just didn't sit well with the Celtics braintrust, of which we hope Jon Niednagel was not included.

If you'll accept the premise that Antoine's 34 game cameo in Boston was always going to be his farewell tour, then you have to agree that the Celtics essentially got something for absolutely nothing. Today, many people will be asking exactly what this "something" was. Let's start with the players involved, even though they are the most minor part of the entire deal: Miralles, a Spanish center, will be staying put in his native land for at least the coming season. He may help the Celtics in the future. Or he may not. Either way, the Celtics will take a flyer on him and see if his game develops at all over the next few years. The lovely and talented Quyntel Woods, who, now that it occurs to me is neither lovely nor talented (he being of the Pit-Bull fighting fame), will, in all likelihood, never play a game for the Celtics. He will either be waived outright or his expiring contract could be packaged with another contract at some point before the season in a trade, most likely the former. Although the Celtics have not made their intentions with Borchardt entirely clear to this point, they may elect to keep the 7-footer, and, if healthy, he could earn some playing time with this young squad.

The two second rounders were a key to this deal as well. Yes, the whole world knows that Rashard Lewis, Gilbert Arenas, Carlos Boozer and Michael Redd were second round steals. But more importantly, Ainge has already picked up guys like Brandon Hunter and Justin Reed who were able to help the big club (with Reed looking primed for a regular spot in the rotation this season) and he just inked Ryan Gomes and Orien Greene to multi-year contracts. The jury is still very much out on Greene, but I've seen more than enough of Gomes to believe that his play will pay off for years to come. And remember, this gives Ainge, who has a pretty decent drafting record, a stab at a couple more players (or trade bait) at no cost, accept to Wyc+Co's checkbook, which shouldn't upset Greenophytes all that much.

Finally, we come to the most important element of this deal, the trade exception. The C's received two exceptions, one from Utah and one from Miami. As allowed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the exceptions were combined into a tidy $5.5 million. This means that the Celtics can trade for another player who makes up to $5.5 million within the next 365 days without giving up anything else. A quick look outside the division shows Jamaal Tinsley, Jeff Foster, Etan Thomas, Brendan Haywood, Marquis Daniels, Moochie Norris, Brian Cardinal, Eduardo Najera and Brian Skinner and many others as being players who could fit into this exception should the Celtics want one of them and their current team wants to take their salary off the books. Acquiring one of these players might silence fans angry that Ainge used most of the Celtics' Mid Level Exception on Brian Scalabrine.

There is still one more unanswered question: Why did the Celtics help out a competitor in their conference? I'll start by saying that I'm not convinced that Walker's presence makes Miami all that much better than before. In fact, I think negatives may wash out his positives completely, especially given that he'll be taking shots away from Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. But the real answer is that by the time these Celtics are ready to compete for a title in three to four years, Shaq will already be eyeing retirement very closely if he's not there already. It's plain to see that the Big Aristotle in decline and that will only continue as he gets older and the injuries keep piling up.

Personally, I'm happy that Antoine finally got paid. He gave Boston seven-plus years of his heart and soul and, though his game must have induced several nervous breakdowns throughout New England, he acted with dignity and left us with some fond memories. Even the second time around. It will be hard to forget his 24 point 10 board welcome back game against Utah, his 33 points and 13 rebounds against Phoenix or the way he bailed Paul Pierce out of game 6 in Indiana.

Good for Antoine. And good for Danny, who somehow pulled offthe biggest trade in NBA history without giving up anything.

Largest Trade Ever - Finally Done

2005-08-02T23:43:00.000-04:00

ESPN Reports the deal is done.

Boston picked up Curtis Borchardt from Utah and a package -- Qyntel Woods, the draft rights to Spanish center Albert Miralles, two second-round draft picks and cash -- from Miami

Don't believe everything you read

2005-08-02T19:03:00.000-04:00

Alright, guys, here's what I'm hearing in short:

The Watson/Wright deal is not accurate. Sorry for all of you who were excited about that.

As far as I know, the real deal is for Curtis Borchardt, Qyyntel Woods, Albert Miralles (who will stay in Spain for the time being), a $5.4 million trade exception, one second round pick from Miami (although I've heard 2, as well) and cash considerations from Miami.

While Woods will most likely be moved, he may stick around just long enough to be packaged in a trade with, well let's just call him another young Celtic, if Danny Ainge can find any takers. Woods is in the final year of his contract so that might make him a little more attractive, by the way.

Finally, I haven't completely confirmed this as of yet, but I believe that the Celtics also have a trade exception $1.4 million from the Walter McCarty trade that they can combine with the new $5.4 million exception. If that is indeed true (and I'll try to get you that info as soon as I can), the C's might be able to swing a trade between now and February for a player making up to $6.8 million. Intriguing, eh?

RealGM: C's Get Earl Watson & Dorrell Wright

2005-08-02T18:07:00.000-04:00

According to RealGM:

RealGM - The Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics have reached a tentative agreement on a three-team trade according to an NBA source close to the negotiations who spoke with DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony.

The Miami Heat will receive Antoine Walker via a sign-and-trade from Boston, as well as Jason Williams and James Posey from the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies will receive Eddie Jones from Miami and Marcus Banks from Boston.

The Celtics will receive Earl Watson via a sign-and-trade from Memphis, as well as Dorrell Wright or Miami's trade exception.

Watson's inclusion in the trade is a new twist to the deal, satisfying their need for a starting point guard. He will reportedly receive the mid level exception.

If true, this is MUCH better than the deals we've been hearing about all day. I'd LOVE this.

Update: Alas, this one proved to be a false report.

6 Team, 20 Player Deal Done!

2005-08-02T16:08:00.000-04:00

Russillo is reporting a huge trade going down involving Walker. Not likely to see anything much coming to the Celtics. Stay tuned to TheZone.

Per Russillo: C's figure to end up with Albert Miralles (who would stay overseas), Andre Emmett, the trade exception, and 2 second rounders. Q. Woods would also be picked up and cut immediately (no cap consequences).

Other names thrown around (presumably instead of Emmett) were Antonio Burks and Curtis Borchardt.

Is your head spinning yet?

Some Details Trickling In

2005-08-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

Gabe has been working the phones too. Here's what he's come up with:

Walker is definitely going to the Heat, one way or another. The trade exception may not be as high as $6M. Could be closer to $5M - $5.5M. A couple of players could be coming to the C's and immediately waived with someone else paying us for that.

Gabe also mentioned that some of the rumors involving Memphis were likely just the Griz "stirring the pot."

Making Sense Of It All

2005-08-02T13:41:00.000-04:00

You've gotten the long versions. Here is an attempt at the short version.

It sounds like Walker is going to the Heat. He wants an extra year and a higher annual salary in the deal and to do that, he needs the C's to sign and trade him. The C's don't want salaries and need some motivation to do the deal. Enter Mark Bartelsein.

The gist of what is below this post is that the C's will end the day with a sizable trade exception (likely over $6M), a young player or two (Miralles? Burks?), and perhaps a 2nd rounder or two. Any players that we would get from the deal would also be paid for by another club.

Its likely that a 3rd team with cap room will have to be involved to make it work. In what sounds like a separate deal, Jason Williams will be joining Walker on the Heat.

We'll be able to use the trade exception at a later date to acquire a player that makes around that amount. For more details on trade exceptions, see Larry Coon's FAQ #68.

The C's will also likely sign a PG for around $1.6M a year.

Of course if I get further details, I'll keep you up to date. This was only meant to be a summary post.

Herald Reports Rumored Deal

2005-08-02T12:33:00.000-04:00

Here is the Steve Bulpett link.

The new information here is:

Reserve guard Antonio Burks could also come to the Heat in that deal and subsequently head to the Celtics. Miami's Qyntel Woods could complete the deal.

I assume he means that Woods would go to the Griz.

Also, to clarify what Russillo was saying and is mentioned in this article, the C's could get a fat $6M+ trade exception to use whenever they wanted. This could bring in more value down the line.

Russillo Fills Us In

2005-08-02T11:51:00.000-04:00

You can stop listening to WEEI now, 1510 TheZone rocks.

This from Ryen Russillo of the Diehards:

Mark Bartelstein is doing this deal all by himself,

The Celtics have nothing to do with this, Bartelstein is trying to get toine 6 yrs. and 7/8 mil a year in this sign and trade and if he finds a way to do:

1. The Celtics take no money on in terms of players, If Butler ends up here (they don't want him) someone pays for him and the Celts cut him.

2. The Celts get (1) 2nd round pick, the Celts are doing Toine and his agent a favor and they have to get something.

3. The Celtics would also create a trade exception if another team is involved which has to be a team under the cap for this to work. There has to be another team involved, because straight up Boston working with Miami is not going to happen.

4. J Will is most likely going to Miami and staying there, maybe that deal expands and gets Toine more money but J Will is not coming to Boston.

5. Bartelstein is saying that Denver wants him (Toine) bad as well, I have not talked to anyone in Denver. I don't believe this.

The Celtics don't want any players back they are at their budget right now, (with a late addition of a PG to come later with the remaining mid level of 1.7 mil or the use of the Bi-annual exception (1.67 mil) formerly known as the "million dollar exception."

WEEI Reporting

2005-08-02T09:42:00.000-04:00

WEEI Reports that the return for Walker would be the following package:

Albert Miralles (Spanish player drafted in last year's 2nd round)
2 future second rounders
a trade exception
and maybe one other player (Butler?)

Walker To Miami Close

2005-08-02T07:02:00.000-04:00

Miami Herald:

"While details of the deal remained unclear, with the Heat and Celtics speaking late Monday figuring out the specifics, the teams are close to a deal that would send a newly signed forward Antoine Walker to Miami. With the Celtics not wanting to take on much salary in return, the Heat might not be giving up much more than its $1.9 million trade exception, a minimal-salary player and draft picks. A third team could be involved. Walker's deal is believed to begin at about $6 million to $7 million."

The article also goes on to confirm that Jason Williams will likely be going to Miami. Probably in a seperate 3 team deal.

Update: Sounds like WEEI is reporting the details to be Rasual Butler, the $1.9M exception, and 2 second round draft picks. It may work out that Butler and Blount get packaged to another team.

I don't like the sound of 2 second rounders. Doesn't seem like enough, especially from the Heat which will be amongst the best teams in the league. Why bother? I like this deal a lot less than when I thought it would be at least a first rounder. The follow up deal sounds interesting though.

Of course I'll be following the story carefully and will update you with anything I hear or read.

High Noon

2005-08-01T22:05:00.000-04:00

Let the overpaying begin! Frankly, I'm happy we sat this one out. We have great swingmen and we don't need to overpay for what was on the market this summer.

On the other hand, I am interested in what fate will hold for Walker. I've seen him pronounced "gone for good" from several sources and "maybe back in Boston" from just as many. We just don't know yet.

I still have a feeling that Danny will move the needle a bit in the coming weeks, but I wouldn't be surprised at this point if he didn't.

It all starts at noon. I don't think we'll hear of anything major right at the deadline, but the top FA's will have their press conferences and whatnot.

Lets get things going!

Heat Still Eyeing Walker Trade

2005-08-01T07:25:00.000-04:00

Also part of that Miami Herald article:

The Heat also is considering adding free agent forward Antoine Walker, possibly in a sign-and-trade deal with Boston, though no agreement was imminent.

Walker visited with Riley last week, and although a straight signing of the free agent is unlikely, the Heat could package Michael Doleac, Rasual Butler and its $1.9 million trade exception to Boston in exchange for Walker. That would allow Walker to sign for a starting salary of about $6 million, and the Celtics would not have to take on much salary in return.

Doleac is in the second year of a four-year deal that pays him $2.6 million next year, and Butler is in the final year of his contract and will make about $1.5 million next season."

My Take: Umm,... no chance. This is a fantasy trade made up from the Miami perspective. Why would we even think about this? You mean we can add salary just to pick up another outside shooting front court player and another swing man? Oh goody! Please. Sorry. No dice.

Heat & Grizz May Not Need 3rd Team

2005-08-01T07:10:00.000-04:00

Now things are starting to make more sense. If it is the Heat that want Jason Williams, then they might not have to involve us. Per the Miami Herald:

"Not satisfied with the makeup of a team that was one game from the NBA Finals, Heat president Pat Riley is considering making significant moves that could include trading swingman Eddie Jones and acquiring Memphis point guard Jason Williams, according to several NBA sources...

Among the moves being considered is a trade that would send Jones to Memphis and bring Williams and small forward James Posey to Miami...

A report out of Memphis had the Grizzlies, Heat and an unidentified team discussing a three-way trade involving Williams. But if the Heat and Grizzlies agreed to a swap of Jones for Williams and Posey, the move would work under the collective bargaining agreement without a third team needed...

Hoopsworld Names Boston as 3rd Team

2005-07-31T22:00:00.000-04:00

Hoopsworld article:

Word is Jason Williams of the Grizzlies will be dealt in a 3-way trade involving Miami and Boston according to a well placed Grizzlies source... Michael Doleac is the player Miami will ship out, likely getting Antoine Walker in a sign and trade package if you connect the dots... Dollie goes to Memphis, JDub goes to Boston --- Dale Davis has been rumored to Miami as a free agent, and all things make sense. Miami sources in typical fashion deny any knowledge of a sign and trade, and the word from Boston is they are not talking with anyone - today.

I don't know if I like the deal if it doesn't involve dropping Blount. This would also mean adding salary, which is contrary to what the stated goals of the team are.

On the other hand, despite the latest empahsis on team character, Ainge is not shy about picking up guys with bad reps (see Davis, Ricky). Also, a good find on our message board were Doc's kind words about Jason Williams from when he was a broadcaster. So it could happen (like it or not).

In other news, its being reported that the Lakers have interest in Jason Williams as well. Which would be curious since they have made a point of not taking on salaries longer than 2 years and JWill's goes for another 3. Still, they need a point, and he is available. So you never know.

Here's my early take: Basically, I can see why Ainge might be interested in a guy with his skillset. However, too much of this does not make sense for the team's goals. I don't like the rumored deal as it is laid out above. Something tells me this is the deal as proposed from the Memphis standpoint. I really don't think that Ainge would sign off on this.

3 Team Trade Brewing

2005-07-31T09:17:00.000-04:00

There is no evidence that the Celtics would be involved in this, but...

Memphis Commercial Appeal (registration required):

"... (Jason Williams) is close to being traded in a three-team deal that would include Miami, according to an NBA source familiar with the Grizzlies' dealings

Is it reading too much into this to put the Antoine to Miami rumor together with the White Chocolate for Stone Hands rumor together with this one? Like I said, I have no hard evidence to suggest this, just wonderin.

Party Starts Tuesday at 9:00 AM

2005-07-30T12:42:00.000-04:00

Will Danny show up? Will he make a grand late enterance? Or will sit this one out happy with what he's got?

In other news, the C's are under the salary cap! (At least until they sign Veal and their draft picks.

Don't Get Too Excited

2005-07-29T08:02:00.000-04:00

I love a hot rumor just as much as the rest of you. I've been the Captain of the "when will the next shoe drop?" ship for the last two weeks. However, I know reason when I've heard it. And today, reason comes in the form of Gabe Kahn. Since he's been covering the team and talks to a lot more people than I do, I'm trusting that he has a better pulse on the club than I could hope to have sitting behind my computer.

His message? Basically don't expect much.

The Jason Williams rumor? Not likely. You see, the C's aren't quite as down on Mark as all of us seem to be. I'm sure it doesn't help that Mark's value is at an alltime low right now. If we can get him to show any signs of life next year, you never know. However, Gabe tells me that they are not openly shopping Blount right now. In addition, the C's seem very interested in Delonte starting at point guard next year.

How about the Radmanovic rumor? Again, not likley. Any rumors circulating about Antoine Walker are almost guaranteed to be coming from the Mark Bartelstein group. They are working the phones, not Danny. They are looking for ways to make a sign and trade work. All indications are that if the C's can get a draft pick and not take on any more salary, they'll make a deal happen. Most likely that would have to happen through a 3 team deal involving a team with cap space and a willingness to take on salary. Otherwise, you are more likely to see Walker take the MLE. I would bet that is one reason why they've started talking to the Heat. As for Radmanovic, he wants big bucks and its not likely that Danny would want to give them to him (or anyone for that matter). So no dice.

So what gives? Why the lack of movement? According to Gabe, the plan all along was to have a quiet offseason and focus on the development of the younger players. Danny doesn't want to add any additional salary.

How will it work? Who knows. Will they change their minds and make a deal? Perhaps, if the right one presents itself.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. Which makes this day no different than any day in the last several weeks.

White Chocolate for Stonehands?

2005-07-28T14:14:00.000-04:00

In Chad Ford's latest (last?) chat, he threw an idea out on the table. Pretty sure it was his idea, but you never know where he might have heard a whisper or two.

The idea was Jason Williams (of the Griz) for Mark Blount straight up. He mentioned that the Griz would likely agree to the swap.

Some thoughts:

1. I can't believe I didn't think of this myself. Both are guys that the teams want to rid themselves of. Both fill positions of need on the other team. Both are in serious need of a change of scenery.

2. I loved Jason when he was White Chocolate (early years on the Kings), liked him when he had his head on straight under Hubie Brown in Memphis. Gotta wonder why he's been moved twice though. He's worn out his welcome in both places he's played. Will that trend continue? What about our attitude emphasis? Then again, it can't be worse than the Blountiful one, so what's the harm in trying?

3. The salaries don't match up perfectly, but apparently Blount's trade kicker makes things closer. I also think we could use a trade exception to make it work. Another option is to throw in Banks, but I would hate to do so without getting something else from their side. Future protected pick?

4. This would leave us very weak at the 5 spot with just Raef and Perk. As a result it leaves us thinner at the 4 as Raef would have to pull full time 5 work. We'd have to work on picking up a big from somewhere.

5. The more I think about this the better I like it. This kid can really, really pass and he's worked very hard on reducing his turnovers. He can shoot pretty well, even it its not always when the coach wants. We could do a lot worse.

Those are just my initial thoughts. Keep in mind this is just an idea of Chad's (as far as we know). Still, its something to talk about.

Walker Shows Up On Heat Radar

2005-07-28T03:10:00.000-04:00

According to the Sun-Sentinal:

Antoine Walker, one of the NBA's top remaining uncommitted free agents, has emerged on the Heat's radar.

According to sources familiar with the Heat's approach, the team plans to discuss a role with the 6-foot-9 forward, perhaps today.

Already over the salary-cap, the Heat would be limited to a bid of its $5.1 million mid-level exception or have to work out a sign-and-trade agreement with the Celtics.

Update: I did a quick check of the salaries and checked out a Heat message board. There aren't a lot of good sign and trade options. Especially since to make up the cost, they would have to package several people for Walker and we are near our max capacity as it is.

My guess is that if they can sell Walker on the dream of a Championship ring, he'll decide that a few bucks less to play with Shaq and Wade is a better option than getting booed by Boston fans every time he shoots from outside 7 feet. By the way, given the dearth of talent outside the big 2 on that team, it sounds like Heat fans would actually welcome him aboard. In his shoes, I almost think it would be an easy choice.

Seems like this is the real test. If Danny wants to keep Walker, he has the ability to up his ante just enough to get him to stay. If he doesn't, he'll just let Walker take the MLE and play elsewhere.

Balance

2005-07-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

That was fun now wasn't it? I think its safe to say that the best course of action for this team to take is somewhere between the two extremes that I laid out. Should we make a move if it benefits us (both long and short term)? Absolutely. But there's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Should we develop our core youth? Of course. But not at the expense of being a winning program. A balance must be achieved. And for that reason alone, I don't envy Danny his job.

Or We Could Just Go Young

2005-07-27T13:47:00.000-04:00

Well, apparently not too many of you fell for my devils advocate ploy with the whole Chad Ford Tribute thing. Perhaps I can get a rise out of you on this.

Forget competing this year, what harm could it be to just go young and see what happens? Just let Walker walk and bring LaFrentz and Blount (occasionally) come off the bench. Start Pierce, but make sure all the kids get enough run to make them solid vets for next year (including Green).

1. West, Banks, Greene
2. Allen, Davis, Green
3. Pierce, Reed, Gomes
4. Jefferson, Raef, Veal
5. Perkins, Blount

Who knows, maybe we can win with this group. Regardless, they'd have more experience and the cap situation doesn't look to bad for a while.

Chad Ford Tribute

2005-07-27T07:31:00.000-04:00

Say what you want about Chad Ford, but he worked his butt off providing near-daily updates on the movings and shakings around the league. For that alone, I'll miss him. Still, one thing I never quite got were his "Fixing the Celtics" (or whatever team) articles. The ones where he proposes 3 or 4 radical trades to overhaul a particular roster. I have to give him credit for trying, but it was just so easy to nit pick his ideas and question his sanity over each proposed trade or transaction. Still, it always entertained in the sense that it got people talking. So in tribute to Professor Chad, I'll make up my own Fixing the Celtics piece and open myself up to scorn, abuse, and mockery. Enjoy.

Lets see, these always start out with a generalization of all the problems the team has. The Celtics are torn between a youth movement and win-now vets with contract issues. They also have some attitudes that need adjusting or relocating. Great! Lets blow everything up.

Step 1: Trade Paul Pierce to the highest bidder. How about Paul and Blount for Shawn Marion and Howard Eisley (expiring contract)? Shawn is an all star return for Paul and Blount leaves town. Pheonix gets a shorter contract which will help pay for Amare's salary when he reups. They also get a center who can score from the elbows. Then you can flip Eisley's contract and Banks to Memphis for Lorenzen Wright (who has asked for a trade).

Step 2: Drop Raef's salary. What about Ricky Davis and Raef for Wally Szczerbiak and Sam Cassell? Wally can score and Sam can fill in at point for a year. The T-Wolves get some inside help for a little less than Wally's salary and repace his shooting with Ricky.

Step 3: Sign-and-trade Walker. Walker and Payton sign-and-trade to Seattle for Vlad Radmanovic and Robert Swift. This one is a Chad Ford original, so I'll let it speak for itself.

New C's lineup:

1. Cassell, West, Greene
2. Wally, Allen, Reed
3. Marion, Gomes, Green
4. Vlad, Jefferson, Veal
5. Wright, Perkins, Swift

This gives a solid, contending team for the present without sacrificing the future core. Wally, Marion, and Vlad eat up some cap space for years to come, but they are bound to be better long term solutions than Raef, Blount, and Walker. Cassell and Wight are both in the last years of their deals so they provide some flexibility.

So there it is. I've stepped up to the plate and put my ideas out there, knowing full well the kind of abuse I'm setting myself up for. I'm sure there will be cries of travishamockery and sneers of superiority, but I gave it my best shot, and that's all I can do. Oh yeah, and I'm reasonably sure that if someone researched this enough, they would find something wrong with my rationale and prove it all to be impossible. But that's why fiction is fun.

Take care Chad.

Oh and ESPN, bring back David Aldridge.

Back To The Future - Part 1 (PG)

2005-07-26T08:32:00.000-04:00

Left with no new news, its time to take on the time honored writers-block antidote: Summary and evaluation. But rather than bore you with stating the obvious current state of the team, I'd rather look to a more distant, enticing future. Forget for the time being what painful growing pains we shall endure, but instead contemplate the not-so-distant promise of tomorrow. (Especially since we'll have all year to gripe about the growing pain stuff)

I'll go position by postion, in part because I don't have anything better to talk about. Besides, with Orien getting his payday, it seems pretty appropriate to start with Point Guards.

Danny has been looking for an ideal point guard for his system since the day he took over. He didn't have much time to prepare for that first draft, but picked a face in the crowd and made sure he got him. A draft promise and draft day deal brought Marcus Banks to town. The kid has all the tools to be special and a defensive heart that makes coaches beam. The problem seems to be his slow plod up the learning curve. If the C's brass and staff think that he will never get to the point they are aiming at, he won't be a Celtic much longer. If they are sure he can, you can put these trade rumors to rest right now.

Next came the Al Jefferson draft. As an afterthought to the press, we also picked up Tony Allen and Delonte West. When Danny proclaimed that they were the highest rated at their positions on the C's draft board, everyone laughed and called it spindoctoring. I don't think we'll ever know just what that draft board looked like, but we do know how much the staff and brass continue to gush over Delonte like 15 year old girls at a boy band concert.

Skipping forward through the Gary Payton year, we heard of Danny's infatuation with Chris Paul. And who wouldn't love this kid (aside from the Jazz)? Still, unable to catch lighting in a bottle, Danny has chosen the scattershot approach. In short, it seems like he's thrown a bunch of young PGs at the wall and is waiting to see which will stick. Orien Greene was promised, picked, and given the Raef treatment ("go ahead and get the surgery, here's your check"). To be safe, Will Bynum was invited to Vegas and handed a retainer check so he'd show up at training camp. Greene is guaranteed to be here for a few years. Bynum may just end up on the NBA-DL team.

So now that I've bored you with the past, what of the future? I can picture a backcourt driven by Delonte and backed up by Orien. Which is some feat since I've seen West play only a handful of games at point and never laid eyes on Greene. Still, I know that whatever Delonte lacks in abilities he makes up for in leadership and smarts - which are far superior to talent for this position. Plus, Danny sees something in this Greene kid, and all I've read on him is glowing. It will take time to water these seeds, and perhaps a veteran will be brought in to help the team in the meantime, but thats another rant for another day.

Here are some more links of reference: Shira's report | Greene's profile | Bynum's profile

Notes

2005-07-25T19:52:00.000-04:00

1. The NBA signing period has been pushed back ...AGAIN. Probably till early next week.
2. Whenever that lifts, Orien Greene will sign for $1.8M over 3 years.
3. While we wait, we can at least look around the net to see how other teams' fans are coping via the Carnival.

Roller Coaster Rant

2005-07-25T08:20:00.000-04:00

The only way I could think of starting this post was this:

AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I feel better now. Well, a little at least. I'm just all mixed up and confused. No, its not girl problems. It's got nothing to do with my relationship with my mother (but thanks for asking Dr. Freud). It's just my first love that's causing me heartache. There have been ups and plenty of downs, but seldom has there been so many ups and downs in such a short period.

I won't bore you with a long history of all the moves that have been made since Ainge took over, flipping the roster over like flapjacks. If you are reading this site, you already know all of that and perhaps more than I do. You see, I'm so saturated with information about this team, that I sometimes forget large chunks of that information. It doesn't help that I'm starting to wonder what information I can trust and what I shouldn't. I'm not even sure I want to. You see, if Chris Wallace's agent says that Paul is being shopped, then I would expect and hope that Danny and Doc would deny it. It makes no sense for them to admit that they are.

But where does this leave me as a fan? Twisted, disoriented, confused, I could go one but I'm starting to feel like I'm stuck in a U2 song ("uno, dos, tres, catorce").

Look at what's transpired in just the past several months. First Paul's unhappy, then Ainge brings back Antoine who turns out to be superman. Great! Then operation meltdown occurs in the playoffs (yet they still manage a game 7). Not so great. The draft shows that its better to be lucky than good and even better still to be both. Great! Next we have the summer league where the team is great and not so great, sometimes in the same game. Finally, we sign Veal. I still don't know how to take that one (solid signing or waste of time/money).

And those are just the things we KNOW happened. Mix in every rumor under the sun along the way. Is Danny really shopping Paul? And by "shopping" I really mean "playing coy" and hinting around the fact to GMs that he could be available if they really want him.

Do the Celtics really want Antoine Walker back? What price would they be happy with? On this subject alone I've gone from being 100% sure he was gone to 80% sure he'd be back and everything in between.

Is there any chance that we'll see the Blountiful one in green ever again? Is there any chance that he could be dumped off on someone else? Is there any chance he won't come back 110% better on another team just to spite us?

And don't get me started on the list of free agents we've flirted with (at least in theory). How about trades? Do any of the recent rumors make any sense whatsoever? Were they ever serious about Bonzi Wells? Is Vlad Radmonovic the better shooting frontcourt player we heard about? Maybe these things would make more sense if I was feeling sane. Maybe.

The wait is killing me though. Operation Lock-lip or whatever you want to call it is not helping matters either. Though again, I wouldn't want the C's brass leaking info all over the net anyway (unless it was for a purpose). I guess I just really want the signing period to begin as soon as possible so we can finally get some answers. Of course, there's definitely no guarantee that we'll do anything at that point, but we'll at least be able to.

My heart, head, and intuition all tell me something is coming. We can't roll with what we have. The most unsurprising move we could make at this point would be to sign Walker and start the season pretty much as is. Still, as reasonable as that is, I just can't wrap my mind around it. There has to be something else brewing. And I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Then again, don't listen to me. I'm just a little unbalanced right now. Thanks for reading my rant. I feel a little better now.

Saras Finally Signs

2005-07-25T00:20:00.000-04:00

Looks like the Pacers just got stronger. 3 years, $12 million.

2 Sides of a Coin

2005-07-24T07:50:00.000-04:00

Funny how two writers can look at this team and have two totally different outlooks.

Peter May brings the gloom and doom:

But when nearly two-thirds of your roster has two or fewer years of NBA experience, you're asking for a lot of patience on the part of the coach, the director of basketball operations, the owners, and, especially, the fans.

While Steve Bulpett sees things a little sunnier:

The more one sees of the young Celtics, the more it seems the best thing that could happen to this team would be for 2007 to get here in a hurry.

These guys are paid to follow the Celtics and they have some great insights into the team. Still, they are both human and are prone to their own point of view and interpretation of the facts. All any of us can do is take in all the information and formulate our own opinions on the subject. And that's part of the fun of being a fan isn't it?

Falling Into Place

2005-07-23T10:18:00.000-04:00

Its not exactly dominos, the pieces are falling too slowly. But minor tremors here create havoc over there.

First Bonzi gets shipped which frees up a little future cap space for the Jazz to sign Saras (who is leaning that way). Dooling knows that the PG position is taken in Utah and signs with Orlando. The Cavs see that the point guards are falling off the map and pick up Jaric and Wilcox AND dump unwanted Gooden on the Clips to boot. Clearly things are starting to shake free from the stagnated market.

How will this effect the C's? Who knows? My favorite PG Watson is still on the market with fewer and fewer teams still needing a PG. The Lakers need a point but won't go over 2 years to get it done. Then again, the Hawks and Bobcats loom as teams with tons of money to throw around, so I won't get too excited.

Gooden was the other PF on the trading market. If anyone needs a big, they'll have to consider Walker. Should be a fun week. We should know more by the time the FA's can officially sign on Thursday(7/28).

Hurry Up and Wait

2005-07-22T09:04:00.000-04:00

The CBA still isn't signed, so nothing new to talk about today. I won't bore you with another long diatribe of why I'm bored, but I will point you to the Cheap Seats section where Bent offers up a smile.

Of course, if I hear anything new, you'll be the first few thousand people to know.

Too Quiet

2005-07-20T19:49:00.000-04:00

I'm bored. We just got done with the Summer League, we won't see another basketball game for months, and I'm already bored. This isn't a good sign.

Still, I love the offseason. Lets be honest, for most of my adult life, I haven't had the luxury of a long postseason to focus on and I've been forced to enjoy the potential of each "wait till next year." Thankfully, the days of ML Carr and Rick Pitino are long gone and Danny Ainge seems to have a firm grip on the future of the team. Although if the Veal signing prevents us from landing some big fish or goes the way of our last free agent signing (Mr. Port and Cigars himself), then someone's going to have to go down to the Garden and take his checkbook away.

So why the silence? What could be the reason behind the quiet as a churchmouse Celtic offseason? Here are some thoughts:

1. Read and React - Perhaps, as I've suggested in the past, Danny and company are waiting to see what will fall out of the market. If we intend to sign Walker, this tactic has paid off already as the market price for power fowards has leveled off right at about the MLE. Theoretically, if someone besides Houston or Finley gets cut in the Amesty Rule, then we could have some leftover MLE money to throw at them. Some free agent is going to left without a chair when the music stops, so who knows? Still, the downside is that you are left with the leftovers and rejects. Googs was sold to us last year and we soon had buyers remorse.

2. Sign-and-Trade - The date when agents can actually sign looks like it will be pushed back at least a week. This kind of uncertainty is exactly the reason why we haven't heard of sign-and-trades being announced yet (aside from the Kwame deal). If you are planning on trading a player that didn't quit on you last year, why would you keep them in limbo for weeks? If Danny has decided on one of the deals that Bartelstien has cooked up, he doesn't have a lot of motivation to announce it to the world right now. A better deal might come up, especially as the FA's come off the market and team start to run out of options.

3. Another Trade - Perhaps Danny is cooking up something more ambitious. We've heard that Banks is available. I'm sure they'd love to shoehorn Blount into any deal considered. We still have an unbalanced roster with glaring needs at center and point guard (who doesn't?). Something could be cooking that we haven't heard of yet. I still think that Memphis is a logical place for Danny to have conversations with, though I doubt it has anything to do with Bonzi the Clown.

4. Maybe They're Done - If we just let Walker walk and let Paul and the kids run and gun, then perhaps this is all we'll get this year. If Danny doesn't want to break the bank and really trusts that these kids are the team's future, perhaps they'll just let it ride. I don't know how they could sell that to the Boston fanbase, but part of me wonders if it would payoff 3-fold a year from now. Still, that's a big risk and likely only a last resort.

I could be forgetting something, but those are my initial theories. It could also be a combination of several of them. All I know is that I hope something happens soon. Actually, let me rephrase that. I hope something good happens soon.

Don't Sleep On Ricky

2005-07-19T22:36:00.000-04:00

All this talk about our summer league wonderkids is all well and good, but one thing we can't forget is that Ricky Davis is still the second best player on this team. We will live and die by Paul Pierce this year, but he'll lean heavily on Ricky to share the scoring load.

Tony Allen started a large part of last year with Ricky dutifully coming off the bench to provide scoring to the second unit. Now Justin Reed is playing his way into serious minutes and Ryan Gomes will not be denied a shot at the gate either. Does that make us overcrowded at the wing position? Absolutely. And we haven't even brought up the future prospects of Gerald Green. But does it mean that Davis will stay in his reserve role? I don't think so.

I see the development of the kids as reason enough to insert Davis into the starting lineup. Davis needed to be on the B-Unit because they were greener than shamrocks and needed someone with enough confidence to take the shots. Presumably now the younger players will have a better feel for the game and enough confidence of their own.

Regardless of Walker's future with the team, the C's will need that scoring 1-2 of Paul and Ricky if we are going to make enough noise in the reloaded Eastern Conference.

I know that Doc is going to preach defense and claim that it is the way to earn minutes. But if that was the only variable, than Mr. Reed would have had a lot more court time last year. This year he's bringing more of his game to the table and will be a great shutdown cornerback if we need him. Tony Allen is still a fierce defender and if he can keep focus and convert on those drives of his, he'll have no trouble earning minutes. We keep hearing that Gomes just knows how to play the game. I'm thrilled to hear it.

Still, if things don't change too drastically in the coming months, they'll all stand in line behind Ricky (who, by the way, can defend pretty well himself). And I'm pretty comfortable with that. Sorry Peter May.