AINGE LOOKS TO STAY PAT

Celtics Not Looking to Deal Before Deadline

By Paul Flannery

Danny Ainge (AP)

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge joined The Big Show for his weekly visit and said that the team was likely to stay intact through the rest of the season. The trade deadline is Feb. 24, but unlike last season the Celtics aren’t likely to be in the trade market.

Not only are they playing better, but Ainge also pointed to the return of Kendrick Perkins last week, as well as the return of Delonte West, hopefully in late February.

“Of course there’s players out there that are good players, but I like our team,” Ainge said. “I like the mix when we’re all healthy. It’s also very difficult to make any trades because the contracts that could make some significant noise are the contracts of our big four And then the guys on our bench like Perk or [Glen Davis], we certainly don’t want to move any of those guys to make and of those trades. So I like our team and I think this is probably the team that we’ll be with by the time the season ends.”

[Go to The Big Show audio on demand page to hear the whole interview]

Ainge said that getting West back will be a key addition for the Celtics because of his versatility. “We’re looking forward to Delonte coming back, but he probably won’t be back until the end of February,” Ainge said. “He’s a perfect fit and compliment to the guys that we have on our bench and maybe the guy that’s the most versatile. He shoots and he handles the ball. He runs the team. He’s a terrific defender, rebounder. We really miss having Delonte out there.”

Here are more highlights from the conversation.

On who will start at center once now that Perkins is back:

I’m not sure that it matters. They’ll both play. I don’t think either one cares. I think it really is simply who plays best with whom.

On going all-out to get homecourt:

It’s a tough call. I think the homecourt advantage is an advantage, not necessarily in the first six games of the series. Having that Game 7 at home has proven to be pretty big throughout the history of basketball. At the same time you can’t win without your key guys healthy. As long as their healthy, I think continuing to play is fine. But if they need time to get healthy, that’s a no-brainer. That’s the top priority.

On Perkins’ return to action:

Good to see Perk back. He’s worked really hard. It’s shocking for a guy that size and that body type to get back as quickly as he did. He hasn’t shown any signs of favoring it. Knock on wood we just hope he can continue to progress.

On BYU phenom Jimmer Fredette (Ainge is an alum):

Jimmer is really a fun guy to watch. Jimmer’s blast to watch. Jimmer is a terrific offensive player. he shoots deep. he scores in a variety of ways. He’s a really fun guy to watch play because he’s a throwback. I don’t know who to compare him to, I haven’t really seen a player like Jimmer.

On a potential Eastern Conference darkhorse:

Milwaukee had such a good year last year, but they’ve had a lot of injuries. I think Milwaukee is a team that everybody should be concerned about. That’s a team that’s better than most people think. They’re much better than their record, and I think a team that could give somebody a real scare in the playoffs.

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