OK.....SO WHAT DOES DANNY DO?

I have been reviewing all the events that has taken place over several weeks involving the problems at center with injuries to Shaq, JON and Erden.....yes Erden.......we know the shoulder but again he's out tonight.....what gives? Obvious nothing good. Now its Daniels.

You can argue that the Celtics should stay pat..........but I say Danny has to make a trade for a small forward now! Why, we have no back up for Pierce at all! Wafer and West cannot play SF because they give up too much height defensively and rebounding as well. I said we were weak at SF if Daniels or Pierce went down (bite my tungue) in one of my post a few months back.

First, Danny, Doc and the team cannot wait 1 to 2 months to see IF....and I say IF Daniels can comeback at all. It seems he has been experiencing Neuro problems since he suffered a concussion in the playoff to Orlando with tingling in his extremities (hand/feet).

Second, just waiting wears Pierce down for the playoffs.

So who's in play as trade bait?..................Von Wafer, Nat Robinson, Luke Harangody, Semih Erden, Avery Bradley.


If your thinking youth in a few years.....you keep the rookies.........so now its Wafer and Robinson and perhaps a lottery pick?


I say Nate and a lottery pick......what are we going to get at 30th pick but a work in progress, but the real value is in Bradley.

Let's say you!!!!!! What does everyone else think.

112288

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BOSTON GLOBE

Celtics could consider making move

Rivers said the Celtics may consider making a move.
Even when they found out Jermaine O'Neal would be out for six to eight weeks and Shaquille O'Neal would be out through the all-star break, the Celtics were ready to plug along with the players they had.
But after Marquis Daniels went down yesterday with a bruised spinal cord, leaving his status uncertain for the foreseeable future, Celtics coach Doc River said the team may not have any other choice but to consider a roster move.

"I think what we have to do really is wait and see with the Marquis situation, how long that will be," Rivers said. "If that’s long then we have to do something. We have to get another ‘3’ let’s just be serious."

As it stands the Celtics have no one to back up Paul Pierce at small forward. Even with Delonte West's possible return before the all-star break, the Celtics are still thin. Tonight against Charlotte, they will have 10 healthy players, but two of them are rookies Luke Harangody and Avery Bradley, who have seen slim minutes this season. They will essentially play with eight players.

"Like I told our guys, nothing you can do about it," Rivers said. "You've got to go out and play. Tonight, there will be a couple of guys playing spots, especially at the 3, someone’s going to play 3 that’s never played it before. That’s just where we’re at right now."

Not to panic, would be a good start...We know that this team is the geriatric set and will struggle through the regular season to stay healthy but we also know that this team doesn't need homecourt advantage to win so buckle up, hang on for a bumpy ride ahead, but I think that this team will do well come playoff time.

LA, not worried at center as I am in burning Paul out for playoffs.

Remember Miami is now one game behind!

112288

Regarding the burn out factor, without moves being made for Posey, T. Allen, or Rip Hamilton, I liken this to a barbeque. The flames are smouldering and the white-hot ambers are begging for the meat!-MD

MD,

I have been looking around and there is slim pickings out there. Rip is tooooo expensive @ $12M plus a year for 3 years. Posey makes sense. He's making $6M per year and only has next year left on his contract. He knows the Celtic system so the learning curve would be short. He has height @ 6'8" and is a true small forward. Rip Hamilton is a guard and has not played forward all that much.

But then there is Tony Allen....but he has 2 more years left after this year on his contract @ $3M+.

THEN AGAIN THERE IS ALWAYS ANTOINE WALKER....HE COMES CHEAP!

112288

I'd kill for Rip, even though he's not a 3, but he is too expensive.

Posey'd be great, but would Indiana want Nate? They have Jamaal Tinsley and TJ Ford for small guards already.

I'd love to get Tony Allen back, the question is would he be happy being back? He left, he says, because he didn't want to play behind Allen and Pierce anymore. Well, they're still here and, as we all know, Tony's head plays an overly important role in the quality of his play. But, and this is really gyso's area of expertise, I don't think we can trade Nate straight up for TA and we already have the maximum number of players, so we'd need to have a third team be involved to take the odd player that needs to be thrown in to make the numbers work.

Antoine Walker initiates my gag reflex.

bob

.

The sky is falling....the sky is falling

The sky isn't falling, but the C's may be falling out of the top spot in the East before the next week is up, unless Ainge makes a move!-MD.

Bob, I commend you for being one of the few who's actually concerned about the fact that we have to give in order to get in any trade. But I'm not sure what your point is about requiring a third team in a straight-up one-for-one deal. If we give up one player to get one player, and if the salaries work, there should be no problem.

I hear potential suitors are lining up on Causeway Street to get a shot at an undersized 2 who can't play the point and isn't known as the brightest bulb in the lighting store. Now, when I say "get a shot," I'm talking Browning Automatic Rifle.

Maybe Danny will pull off a miracle in making a trade. I've learned never to underestimate him. But the realistic trade bait on this team doesn't include a salary that would equalize a trade for anyone worth his salt, except maybe for Nate. And I can't see Nate being a popular commodity. I suppose people will want to solve this by offering a package of multiple players on the theory that quantity offsets mediocre or unproven quality. Sure.....and, even if other general managers were dumb enough to fall for that, how many teams have the roster flexibility to take on multiple players?

Perhaps this situation will make them think twice about the likelihood that Jermaine will really help them, and they'll try to cajole him to take a buyout for the purpose of immediate retirement. I believe the buyout amount still counts against the cap, but I'm thinking not of money—only how to free up a roster spot. In which case, I might give Sims a try.

Sam

Sam,

If Boston doesn't think JON will ever be ready to contribute to the team again, they could release him and pick up another player. I doubt Boston will give up on JON until they see how his rehab goes. By that time, it will be too late to pick up someone else.
I think Boston might try to move Nate because of the size of his contract and his inconsistent one-dimensional play.
Bradley, Harangody and Erden's salaries are so low (in NBA terms) that you can't match a large salary with theirs. Boston might have to trade JON or Daniels expiring contract to get a player they want.
If I were a Celtics fan, I would be pushing for a trade for a center and/or small forward before the trade deadline.

TJ,

Jermaine's contract is not expiring. He's due a little more than $6 million next season. I believe Marquis' contract is expiring, but at something like $2.5 million wouldn't offer that much cap relief although it could help even up the salaries in a trade.

I'm guessing the Celtics have cast their lot with Perk, backup-by-committee, and Baby doing spot duty and playing down the stretch at the center position. If they're trying to trade (and I have no idea what they'd offer for bait because I can't believe Nate would be that attractive), I expect they'll focus on the SF position.

If they COULD free up a spot on the roster by buying out someone (Bradley), I wouldn't mind them giving Sims a shot. He made the NBDL All-star team, and he displayed skills in the summer league that had very little to do with the quality of the competition. Jumping, speed, playing smart around the rim, and three-point range are skills regardless of the competition.

Sam

Sam,

I did say trade JON or Daniels expiring contract. I should have put a comma after trade JON to show the difference between him and Daniels expiring contract.
I agree that Nate is not that attractive. I don't see much interest in him. From what I see from him on the court, he is almost hurting Boston being on the floor.
There is no way Bradley gets bought out/released. Harangody goes long before him. Kobe would personally pack Bradley's bags for him if he was released. He is a very quick/athletic, defensive minded pg which is exactly what LA needs. LA would pick him up as would every other team.
Sims could get a shot. The problem at this point is, with the trade deadline in a little over two weeks, there is little time left to get an established player if Sims doesn't work out.

sam wrote:Bob, I commend you for being one of the few who's actually concerned about the fact that we have to give in order to get in any trade. But I'm not sure what your point is about requiring a third team in a straight-up one-for-one deal. If we give up one player to get one player, and if the salaries work, there should be no problem.

I hear potential suitors are lining up on Causeway Street to get a shot at an undersized 2 who can't play the point and isn't known as the brightest bulb in the lighting store. Now, when I say "get a shot," I'm talking Browning Automatic Rifle.

Maybe Danny will pull off a miracle in making a trade. I've learned never to underestimate him. But the realistic trade bait on this team doesn't include a salary that would equalize a trade for anyone worth his salt, except maybe for Nate. And I can't see Nate being a popular commodity. I suppose people will want to solve this by offering a package of multiple players on the theory that quantity offsets mediocre or unproven quality. Sure.....and, even if other general managers were dumb enough to fall for that, how many teams have the roster flexibility to take on multiple players?

Perhaps this situation will make them think twice about the likelihood that Jermaine will really help them, and they'll try to cajole him to take a buyout for the purpose of immediate retirement. I believe the buyout amount still counts against the cap, but I'm thinking not of money—only how to free up a roster spot. In which case, I might give Sims a try.

Sam

sam,

The thought behind the 3rd team was, especially in the case of Tony Allen and his much smaller salary than Nate's, what we might have to do to make the deal work. We can't have Memphis throw in a second player to make the $ work, we're already at the max roster, ergo a little help from a 3rd team. Another idea is Tony Allen plus a secod Griz for Nate and a second Celtic. That might make the $ work too, without the need for another team.

You took a more "league-wide" view of this. Who would want Nate? Period. I was responding specifically to other posters' suggestions about getting Tony Allen or Posey or Rip.

I think DeShawn Sims is an under-considered option as well. My issue with him might be that he is not a veteran and does not know Doc's playbook, so how effective could he be in the less than half season left? Talk about discontinuity! He's doing a heckuva job in Maine, though, so who knows?

bob

.

-------------------------2010-2011--------2011-2012------2012-2013--------2013-2014

Marquis Daniels-------$2,500,000
Avery Bradley----------$1,418,160-------$1,524,480-------TO$1,630,800---TO$2,511,432
emih Erden---------------$473,604--------TO$788,872
Nate Robinson----------$4,200,000-------$4,536,000
Von Wafer---------------$915,852
Jermaine O'Neal-------$5,765,000--------$6,226,200
Luke Harangody--------$473,604----------$788,872
Jermaine O'Neal---------$5,765,000------$6,226,200
Marquis Daniels----------$2,500,000

OTHERS
Rip Hamilton--------------$12,650,00------$12,650,000-------$12,650,000
James Posey--------------$6,478,000-------$6,925,400
Tony Allen-----------------$3,000,000-------$3,150,000--------$3,300,000

TO= TEAM OPTION

Have you guys actually seen Posey play lately? He is not the player he was three years ago, not even close. His offensive numbers are down significantly, and he's lost a step and isn't a lockdown defender anymore. As valuable as he was during the championship season, Ainge made the right move letting him go because he's not worth what he makes.

If Ainge can swing a deal for a backup SF without losing a key rotation player, it will be quite a coup. He's not negotiating from a position of strength. There's a reason the Knicks wanted to get rid of Robinson -- he has the occasional good game like Shrek-Donkey or the recent Laker game, but you see how he is most of the time. Chances are very slim that another team will take the C's spare parts off their hands and give them a serviceable SF in return.

Best place for Nat would be Portland. Fernandez wants out so............

----------------------------2010-201------2011-2012-----------2012-2013
Rudy Fernandez---------$1,246,680-----$2,180,443---------Q-$3,187,808

Q=Qualifying offer

Outside wrote:Have you guys actually seen Posey play lately? He is not the player he was three years ago, not even close. His offensive numbers are down significantly, and he's lost a step and isn't a lockdown defender anymore. As valuable as he was during the championship season, Ainge made the right move letting him go because he's not worth what he makes.

If Ainge can swing a deal for a backup SF without losing a key rotation player, it will be quite a coup. He's not negotiating from a position of strength. There's a reason the Knicks wanted to get rid of Robinson -- he has the occasional good game like Shrek-Donkey or the recent Laker game, but you see how he is most of the time. Chances are very slim that another team will take the C's spare parts off their hands and give them a serviceable SF in return.

Outside,

I agree about Posey. His ship sailed a couple of years ago.
All he does is shoot 3 pointers and not very well.
He takes 1 non-3 point shot every other game...
He is shooting under 35% this year.

Some team will take Nate if they are able to unload a worse contract on Boston.

112288 wrote:Best place for Nat would be Portland. Fernandez wants out so............

----------------------------2010-201------2011-2012-----------2012-2013
Rudy Fernandez---------$1,246,680-----$2,180,443---------Q-$3,187,808

Q=Qualifying offer

The salaries don't match and Portland already has $21m+ in salary next year for their top 2 shooting guards.
Portland has no need for Nate.

Bob,

I get it. Of course, involving a third team would involve some complexity, and the Celtics would have enough going against them in a potential quest for a helpful roster addition.

Dehawn Sims might not know the playbook, but who would (other than a returning player like Tony or Posey)? From what I saw of his abilities during his brief Summer League stint, I believe he'd possess the necessary skills to fit in with a Celtics bench of West, Wafer, Davis, and the Center du Jour. He'd be ideal for an up-tempo game. He could help space the floor.

I posted his DL stats elsewhere and am repeating them here. I think he's played in something like 35 games, as he was injured for a few games some time ago. I like the fact that he made the DL All-star team and he'd be SF size whereas Tony is not.

6' 8" (some reports say 6' 7") 225 pounds
33.6 MPG
18.1 PPG (shooting 49.2%)
38.1% 3-pointers 64.4% FT
8.1 RPG (2.5 OR, 5.6 DR)
1.28 steals per game
1.3 assists per game

I looked at eight scouting reports on him. Of course, they're now ancient history, but I can only hope that his all-star selection means he is probably better at this point.

There were raves about his open court play. He seems to be a flyer. He also possesses a nice mid-range jumper and a serviceable three-point stroke.

He has very good footwork on defense. There were reports of his being moved around some by opponents, but that may have been due mainly to the fact that he played center at Michigan. (Shades of Satch Sanders.) Some of the reports did say that his size would help in defending at the "3" position. His experience at center may be responsible for his having a fairly effective inside game.

At the time of the scouting reports (almost all based on his collegiate experience), he was not consider a great ballhandler of shooter off the dribble. I don't know whether or how he might have improved since.

He definitely likes to mix it up inside in rebounding action. There was also some feeling that, given his frame, he's a candidate for adding poundage and muscle.

Of the two options, I'd much rather see Sims than Bradley on the Celtics roster right now. The Celtics don't have to develop a project for the PG position. They have an incumbent.

Who knows? Down the road, Sims and Harangody might give the Celtics a dynamic duo at the forward slots. That's probably too optimistic, but he just might be the best compromise for the team in their current position.

Sam

Hi,
I don't want to be in DA's shoos right now. I think he has to gamble now.
He doesn't know the actual status of MD. Even if MD comes back in 5-6 weeks and has time to get into shape before playoffs nobody can predict his status and level in playoffs with this kind of injury. So, the logical conclusion is to seek MD's replacement/insurance. But what does DA have to give? The obvious answer is Nate. But this leaves a possible hole on the PG side: despite what we all hope for, DW may not come back as good as he was before the injury.
But let's look on the bright side: DA still has 2.5 weeks to make something happen.
Meanwhile, Celtics have to whip the Heat and after that they can coast to the end of the reg. season.

AK

If they get Sims, who are they going to release?

AK

QUESTION

To higher power.......can they release MD after trading deadline and bring Sims up if it is determined MD cannot play this year?

112288

Sinus,

I'd release Bradley. He seems very far removed from an ability to be an effective point guard; and that's very likely his only shot at the pros. Why should the Celtics string along with what amounts to a project at a position they've got covered for the next few years at least?

I know, I know. He has great defensive potential. I just don't think that's enough, given the circumstances I've outlined above.

Sam

I think the reasonable move might be to create a roster spot and give a shot to Sims. I'm not really sure how we open a spot up, however. I would think the leading candidates to go (with West returning soon) would have to be among Bradley, Nate, Wafer, Harangody or Jermaine, but there are complicating financial factors or obligations in trying to move or part ways with any of them.

Bradley might be the easiest to drop at the lowest cost. Except that he might be able to defend some he doesn't look like anything special so far and shouldn't be at all important to our plans going forward.

I understand Sam's point about Bradley and he is right. Bradley has some potential but Rondo has that position locked for the next 5+ years. Why wasn't this thought about when Bradley was drafted? With that being said, I still let Harangody go and keep Bradley. Harangody is similar in some aspects to BBD but does none of them near the way BBD does. Boston has to sign BBD after the season is over, which makes Harangody less valuable.
Of course this is nonsense because Boston wouldn't do it, but LA would trade part of their Vujacic trade exception to Boston for Bradley, which would give them an open roster spot.