Ahh damn, my Celts were recently finally eliminated
from playoff contention mathematically. With the second worst
record in the NBA (23-50), and all the NBA experts proclaiming
this a terrible team and organazation wouldnt it seem everything
is hopeless with this organazation? Nope.
The Celtics have had amazingly bad luck with injuries this year,
losing Paul Pierce, Wally Szczerbiak, Tony Allen for huge chunks
of the season. Szcerbiak, a perrenial great shooter who can put
up 20 points a game, and Allen, a great defender who came into his
own scoring 20 a night when Pierce was injured have played a combined
65 games this year, and won’t play anymore. Jefferson has missed some
time due to injury, Delonte West has also, Perkins has also, and he had
to play through his for much of the season(plantar fasciitis), which
severly limited his effictiveness. Theo Ratliff, the major accustition
of the offseason, played two games this year. This type of string of
injuries can’t continue, so next year lets look at the Celtics assuming
they are somewhat unridden by the injury bug, but also assuming Tony
Allen doesn’t come back since he suffered a major knee injury. The
Celtics are going to get either the number one or two overall pick,
or else they are probably going to use it in a trade for an all-star
player like Kevin Garnett or Jermaine O’Neal. Say they get O’Neal, a very
real possiblity since he is unhappy in Indiana and things are getting
worse there and it is going to continue for the forseable future. Celts
trade the first round pick, Ratliff’s expiring contract, Ryan Gomes to fill
O’Neal’s shoes a little bit, and Delonte West/future first round pick. A
reasonable trade for both teams. Indiana gets younger and frees up cap space,
and Boston becomes an immediate contender.
C – Jefferson
PF – O’Neal
SF – Sczerbiak
SG – Pierce
PG – Rondo
6 – Green
7 – Perkins
8 – Telfair
Now your telling me that team cant contend? Add in a 2nd round pick and maybe
a veteran signed during free agency and the bench is solid and this team is a
TITLE contender. Even if they dont do a trade and instead end up with Oden or
Durant, there lineup looks like this, again assuming Tony Allen is not able to
heal from his injury but Wally does heal.
C – Oden
PF – Jefferson
SF – Sczerbiak
SG – Pierce
PG – Rondo
6 – Green
7 – Gomes
8 – West
9 – Perkins
or
C – Jefferson
PF – Gomes
SF – Durant
SG – Pierce
PG – Rondo
6 – Sczerbiak
7 – Green
8 – West
9 – Perkins
Any of those scenarios is to drool over if your a Celitcs fan, so keep your
head up Boston, this year was a FLUKE.
April 5, 2007 at 12:21 am |
If Oden and Durant don’t come out for the draft (which is highly unlikely), than wouldn’t trading the number 1 or 2 pick be extremely difficult? So with this situation; no huge rookie prospect, and the idea of acquiring O’Neal or Garnett would be difficult. Would the Celts look to trade down and lose Perkins and West (who I think will stay) for someone like Pau Gasol? Gasol doesn’t look to be the final piece for the Celts with his injury and how he’s been playing this year.
April 6, 2007 at 12:27 am |
I dont think they would trade for Gasol, Big Al essiantely has outplayed him this year and Pau does nothing above average but score, which we already have from Al inside. Theres still very good prospects in this draft, assuming they come out of course. Brandon Wright has superstar potential, Noah, Yi the Chinese guy, and Al Horford are very good big men prospects, so I think if the Celts get the 1 or 2 pick and Oden and Durant dont come out, then they can still trade it to aqquire a guy like O’neal or Garnett. I surely hope your scenairo doesnt play out, I want Oden or Durant lol.
April 17, 2007 at 12:41 am |
Gasol is in the West and he was hurt earlier this year he also is playing hurt now.
Every year someone says this will be the year the Celtics do this ot that but as long as Ainge is in charge and uses his brain doctor and personal biased opinion to make trades the Celtics are going no where. Even IF they get a top 2 draft pick. There is no rookie in the league capable of carrying a team to a title and there won’t be any time soon.
April 20, 2007 at 5:13 am |
Gasol also has been playing on a team that literally runs no plays and just runs up and down the floor and tries to score as many as possible and could care less if they give up 120 as long as they score 110. So whatever the hamstring injury took away from him was balanced out by Memphis’ Sun like pace. And I don’t think the injury really affected him since what would Memphis get from playing their star injured while there in a hopeless season where it serves them best to LOSE so they have the best chance possible at a high draft pick. Don’t get me wrong, I think Gasol is a very good player with loads of talent, but his max is 20 points, 9 boards, and 4 assists, very good, but not reason enough to trade Big Al for him. I think you hate on Danny Ainge too a little bit, I mean he’s had some terrible moves, like the 1st Walker and the Telfair trades, but hes the best GM in the league at drafting rookies, and I think you gotta give him a pass this year due to all the injuries. And I never said this team is a title contender with Oden or Durant, I said if they aqquire a Kevin Garnett/Jermaine O’Neal and add a decent rookie and veteran then they are a title contender in my opinion. With Oden or Durant I agree that they probably wouldn’t be a title contender this year, but remember Lebron put up 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 dimes a game his 2nd season, the equivalent to Durants rookie season this year. If Durant put up 20-25 points, I think the C’s would be in pretty good shape lol.