God Bless Perk. Amen. Time to Move on and Focus on the Playoffs.

This post represents my opinion as a board member, not as a moderator (which I'll mention later.)

I feel badly that there has to be such belaboring of the Perk deal. It's certainly justifiable to feel badly about or even to hate it. And it's certainly justifiable to vent about it on a board like this one.

But we're all adults, except for our new friend, Brandon, who joined us on the most recent game-on thread. How long do we have to lie on the floor, kicking and screaming about a fait accompli, while simultaneously criticizing team members for not being able to get over Perk's loss like "professionals?"

Just when I had thought people were coming to their senses and resuming their rooting for the team rather than to focus on belaboring how much Perk is missed, the Perk wailing has taken on a new tangent. A "Let's Get Danny" tangent.

Danny knows more about basketball than any of us. Danny knows more about basketball then members of the media. Danny, in his best judgment, felt that the Perk move was best for the team. He realized (and how right I believe he was) that the bench we had all felt, at the beginning of the year, would be a real strength, was in fact a real weakness. He realized that, along with his strengths, Perk had weaknesses.

So Danny took a considered risk (which is what good general managers often do rather than twiddling their thumbs and hoping for the best). The risk lay in believing that Shaq and/or Jermaine O'Neal would be back and that Krstic (to say nothing of Green) could add an important offensive dimension off the bench.

Yes, Perk had contributed a lot as en enforcer on the defensive end, though not much more than Krstic on the boards and certainly much less than Krstic on offense. But it's important to recognize two factors. First, remember that Krstic wasn't obtained to replace Perk. That job was expected to fall to Shaq (and maybe Jermaine as well). Second, even going back to last season, Doc very often considered Glen Davis a better option than Perk at center in the stretch run of most games. So, basically, the game could almost be divided into three parts. (1) At the beginning of each half, Shaq (and possibly Jermaine) would replace Perk. Later in the first half, and around the end of the third quarter, Krstic would be a bench presence. Down the stretch, Davis would probably be in there. There's a certain sense of logic to that plan, whether or not Monday Morning Quarterbacks now recognize it.

While there's nothing inherently wrong with civilly expressing opinions about the Perk deal, frankly it's becoming terribly belabored. We've heard all that could possibly be said. I think it's safe to say that we're happy Perk has a home where he can contribute. We'll all miss Perk and superior defense, good rebounding, picks, free throwing, great hands, and even-demeanored leadership on the court. We all wish Perk well.

But, for cripes sake, the Celtics are about to try their best to win an 18th championship banner. Why doesn't it make sense to focus on supporting them rather than to become preoccupied with water over the dam and agonized about the challenges issued by every upstart team out there?

I continue to suggest (as I have for years) that we try to think like Celtics. Like players. Capitalize on the glimmers. Fix the problems. Play (root) hard. Expect good things to happen. Maintain the focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. I guarantee, that's what the players doing, notwithstanding whatever remnants of the Perk deal may be in the backs of their minds.

I leave you with a reminder that this post is my opinion as a board member, not as a moderator. As a moderator, I continue to support members' right to post what they wish as long as it's civil.

Go Celtics!

Sam

Sam,

You have to look at it as being therapeutic in value. It's cheaper letting our primal feeling out here for free vs. paying a shrink $200 per hour! it's better then having one of our members jump off the Tobin Bridge!

Let's call this sensitivity .......feel good session to a close!

112288

Thanks Sam

But I am not sure the litigation is over for those fans that resemble a bull dog on the porch with a porkchop in their mouth.

Dboss

112288,

The "close" part sounds promising.

Sam

Re; Sam's original post...Amen.

Re; dboss' response...that makes for one heck of a visual.

heck i still aint convinced i even know how i feel abotu the trade yet..


P.S.
game on! anyone? LOL

sam

I just watched Thunder beat Lakers and first time Durant has ever done it in LA I believe. Well Perk is certainly helping Thunder despite not doing anything spectacular night in and night out on the stat sheet, even though he had Kobe in a nice headlock!! I want this trade to work, believe me I do and I see so much that Jeff Green can do well, but I thought you took some subtle digs at Perk.

You noted Perk doesn't rebound much better than Krstic, is it any coincidence that with Perk missing so much of season at beginning of year and now gone were the worst rebounding team in the league and we have virtually no offensive rebounding at all right now? Perk is a defensive anchor, you always have to put a body on him, even though his numbers aren't huge, he is an enabler that allows the others to all do their jobs easier, much easier because of the physical toughness and grit that he provides. Are we a gritty team right now? I sure don't see any of this in Krstic.

A player needs at least one skill to build on to stay in the league, well at what Perk is good at is a commodity that all winning teams need, thats why a generation ago we needed Paul Silas even though Don Nelson had a better offensive game, in other words theres no comparison to what Perk gave this team to what Krstic does, we better start getting alot more from Jeff Green or this is gonna go down as one of the worst trades in Celtic history. Thunder is greatly benefitted from this trade, have we? Our great D, that could lockdown at certain key points in the game with Perk would create offense off the defense, well maybe thats why our offense has also been struggling lately.

cow

5 years from now - when Jeff Green is a perennial All Star and Kedrick Perkins is coming back from his third knee surgery. You will see the value in this trade.

I wish Perk the best, and I know I have used this quote before - but basically "this is your team" and so lets all get behind them for what they are, instead of what they are not.

MRKleen:

5 years from now it's more likely Green will have risen to be an above average player with another team, since it appears Doc doesn't know HOW to use him. Green therefore will move on to more favorable circumstances. Meanwhile, Perk SHOULD have about 2 titles with OKC by that time.

MD!

There are many players that have come and gone who showed flashes of brilliance and never more....now welcome to Jeff Green!


112288

One thing that Ainge lost sight of and was mentioned by one of the ABC talking heads yesterday. Forget whether or not Perk could or could not have been signed in the off season. The C's had a winning team chemistry. You go after the prize with all you've got. If banner 18 comes , GREAT! If it does not, then you rebuild in the off season knowing you gave it your best effort with what you had. Perk loved it in Boston and I'd like to believe he would have been reasonable. However, he pissed Ainge off when he didn't jump at the offer of $22 million over 3 years. Ainge then proceeded to perform surgery on his nose to spite his face!

MD.

Jeff Green has legit talent and has teased with flashes, but either he doesn't have enough ganas right now or hes not being used right, I don't know. Hes got way more talent that Posey, but Posey was all about ganas and right now hes not contributing near what Posey gave us in 08.

MDCelticsFan wrote:MRKleen:
5 years from now it's more likely Green will have risen to be an above average player with another team, since it appears Doc doesn't know HOW to use him. Green therefore will move on to more favorable circumstances. Meanwhile, Perk SHOULD have about 2 titles with OKC by that time.
MD!

112288 wrote:There are many players that have come and gone who showed flashes of brilliance and never more....now welcome to Jeff Green!
112288

Don’t even know why you two bother to watch the games anymore. You clearly have all the answers and you know exactly how it is all going to turn out.

Cow

Posey had been around the block so to speak. Green is still well GREEN. With all the vets he may feel a need to take a back seat or differ to them too much. Anyway he needs to cut it loose and let it fly.

beat

Hey Mrkleen,

This site was created to allow freedom of speech without getting bashed or labeled as a pariah like Boston.com. Each individual can express their own individual beliefs and yes debate is welcome. But as a MEMBER OF THE BOARD AND A MODERATOR OF THIS SITE we need to keep the rhetoric down and respect each others opinions. Because someone may have a differing point of view from your does not make that view wrong , nor does it make yours right! To call into question ones loyalty because someone disagree with you is plan wrong. I think if you reflect on this I'm sure you would conclude differently and I'm sure it was done out of frustration of our loosing (As we all are frustrated) rather then from malice.

112288

Cow,

I guess you skipped over what was one of the most important points in my post:

"....remember that Krstic wasn't obtained to replace Perk."

As I thought I took pains to mention in my post, Danny had reason to believe that Shaq and possibly Jermaine would be back, and they—not Krstic—were supposed to provide intimidation (Shaq) and defense (Jermaine) that might not equal those of Perk but would be close enough to take a risk that would relieve the team of Perk's several important liabilities and get Krstic and Green in the bargain.

Anything I said that might have had the appearance of comparing Perk and Krstic was in the nature of an "Oh, by the way" and was aimed at those who persist in comparing Perk and Krstic.

Please let me know where I said the Celtics didn't miss Perk's rebounding all year long. Just be kind enough to point out that sentence to me. As for whether it is a coincidence that the Celtics have been a poor rebounding team without Perk for most of this season, it's no more of a coincidence than the fact that they were next to last in rebounding with Perk last season (beating out the last-place Warriors by 15 rebounds for the season).

You mention that "we have no offensive rebounding at all right now." Perhaps not, although Krstic is providing the Celtics with 3.0 OR per 36 minutes. I would never dream of comparing the two, but Perk's figure was 2.6. And, as far as Danny knew when he made the trade, Shaq and Jermaine would be adding their combined 4.1 as the season wore on.

I thought I was pretty fair to Perk when I said, "We'll all miss Perk and superior defense, good rebounding, picks, free throwing, great hands, and even-demeanored leadership on the court." The first half of that sentence was in earnest, and the second half was tongue-in-cheek. I stand firm in thinking that was a fair profile of Perk's abilities. It even erred in the direction of his positives, because I kindly omitted some of the negative stuff like the moving picks.

But my very obvious reason for starting this thread was to suggest that people grow up, face reality, and decide whether they'd rather root for the Celtics or continue to cry over milk that may or many not have been spilt. I'm responding to your post out of courtesy, but I'm really not interested in becoming an ongoing party to the interminable Perk Saga. My focus is definitely on the imminent future.

Enjoy the playoffs.

Sam

The Celtics lacking offense rebounding is a bit of a misconception. As one of the best shooting teams in the league you will not get as many missed shots and therefore as many potential offensive rebound opportunities.

112288

112288 wrote:The Celtics lacking offense rebounding is a bit of a misconception. As one of the best shooting teams in the league you will not get as many missed shots and therefore as many potential offensive rebound opportunities.

112288

And just to add to that............we ATTEMPT the fewest shots too.

beat

Beat,

Given my natural preference for "volume basketball," the lack of shot attempts is probably my single greatest concern about the Celtics. Volume basketball can offset a bad shooting night, just as the uptempo game that produces volume basketball can offset problems in the half court offense. Depending so uniformly on precision and accuracy is dangerous, and it also places extreme pressure on bailout defense.

I'm not saying they can't accomplish all of this, as they certainly have a pretty good track record. It just creates a lot of pressure in an environment which has become somewhat of a pressure cooker anyway.

Sam

Sam

I know we both yearn for an uptempo game for our offense. Making the other team adjust to us and getting a larger percentage of easy baskets takes so much pressure off the offense and keeps those nasty scoring droughts at bay too. Of course getting the rebound has been a bit of an issue in of itself.

Hard to believe the C's of the 60's put up 100 shots per game and we can't get above 80 come hell or highwater now.

And as you well know uptempo does not mean fast breaking all the time it just means once possession is established get the ball into the offensive end as quickly as possible, I wonder what RA's shooting % is in the first 12 seconds of the shot clock vs the second? I just bet it is higher in the first half.


Looks like the rain may hold off and with temps approaching 70 we will hopefully have a more normal game of baseball this evening and players and their parents won't freeze their rears off!

beat

Beat,

That shooting clock stat may be available. Bob Heckler has a good handle on available stats. He really shocked me with the one about shooting off picks.

Good luck, all around, in tonight's game.

Sam

112288 wrote:But as a MEMBER OF THE BOARD AND A MODERATOR OF THIS SITE we need to keep the rhetoric down and respect each others opinions.

112288 - my problem with our daily Chicken Little act has nothing to do with questioning your position on this board. If you want to voice your opinion and be a glass half empty, negative nelly all day every day...so be it, that is your right. But you do so as a regular member of the board – and you should take your lumps and responses to that “sky is falling” act as a member of the board.

If anything is distasteful here, it is you trying to assert the title as moderator into this debate as it suits you. You are the moderator as it relates to keeping topics on track, calling people out for personal attacks, vulgar language etc. None of that is happening here….and none of it warrants you TYPING IN ALL CAPS.

If you type in ALL CAPS you should be referring to a hockey team from Washington (LOL)-MD.

Mrkleen, when I see remarks that taught others I'll call anyone out any day of the week. Your remarks were catty and bating.

Not quit sure what you mean by lumps.....this board was supposed to work in a non confrontational manor respecting each others point of view in the spirit of fun and sportsmanship. Like two old buddies sharing a beer at the local bar and debating one's favorite team over the other......nothing is ever resolved but the friendship lasts forever.................and you are my friend Mrkleen and I hope we can continue to share our common love of the Celtics and share our disagreements as well!

112288

112288

Sam and beat
It wasn't Volume Basketball that carried the day for the Celts of the 60's. It was all about their defense. Denver in the early 80's and Golden state under Nelson are evidence that just firing away, without a solid defense, doesn't get it done.
swish