A fond farewell???

http://www.celticslife.com/2015/04/celtics-gigi-datome-wont-forget-you.html

He said that he looking at all offers, so maybe he will get one from Danny.

You can tell he really liked it here, and it was obvious Brad liked him too. It is just how everything falls in the draft and free agency. The guy has a great shot and it is nice to have a weapon like that on the bench. I would love him to get an offer. Time will tell, but it was a classy act on his part by a player who was only here a short time.

RosalieTCeltics wrote:You can tell he really liked it here, and it was obvious Brad liked him too. It is just how everything falls in the draft and free agency.  The guy has a great shot and it is nice to have a weapon like that on the bench. I would love him to get an offer. Time will tell, but it was a classy act on his part by a player who was only here a short time.

Rosalie,

Coming to Boston and playing for Brad who not only put him in games outside of garbage time but in non-garbage time playoff games, was like being released from prison on parole for Gigi. To be turned into a cult figure on top of that...


bob



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Just a nice Italian boy!!!! He made his Mama proud!!!!!

He will make much more money playing in Europe that Ainge will likely want to give him.

Unfortunately, outside of being a good guy and shooter, the rest of his game really does not fit in with the Celtics re-build unless he is going to take much less money to become the 14th or 15th man.  Even then his roster spot is very likely to be needed for some roster rotational upgrades that hopefully happen this summer.

He is also not a young player so his skills probably have been pretty much either already developed or even deteriorating at this time in his career.  Probably not much room for individual growth.

Wish him well, however.

I agree Wide,

he can do better in both Money and just as important for him, playing time in Europe.

He was a hero over there wasn't he? I do not think he will be back to America to play ball. Finish his career over there and make some money, he would get hardly anything as a 14-15 player on the bench

It was refreshing though to see a guy come here, not complain, take what was given him and do anything he was asked to do. In this day and age, not many players could not accept that role.

A good team has rotation players and specialists. Rotation players need to be either the best at their position, net sum, or second best. Specialists need to be really good at one thing. Maybe the best on the team at that thing. Best perimeter defender. Best paint defender. Best shooter. Stevens has already said Gigi was the best shooter. Unless they can find better or much cheaper (and that's unlikely) I like Gigi's chances.

atcross wrote:A good team has rotation players and specialists. Rotation players need to be either the best at their position, net sum, or second best. Specialists need to be really good at one thing. Maybe the best on the team at that thing. Best perimeter defender. Best paint defender. Best shooter. Stevens has already said Gigi was the best shooter. Unless they can find better or much cheaper (and that's unlikely) I like Gigi's chances.

atcross,

A very well thought out post, and dead right too in my opinion.  Starters have to be good at everything or phenomenal at more than one thing (e.g. The Worm with defense and rebounding).  Bench players have to excel at least one thing.  Eddie House was a 3pt shooter.  Not much of a defender, non-existent rebounder, poor ball-handler and passer but he could hit a 3ptr from anywhere with ice water in his veins.

Gigi's defense is maybe a little better than James Young's and his shooting is better.  Not just from 3, but from everywhere and in every way.  He could shoot off the dribble, he drove, catch-and-shoot, all of it.  The question to be answered is "is Danny and Brad ready to give up on James Young?".  I don't think they are and if I'm right then Gigi will be the victim of a numbers game.

Not my preference, just what I think will happen.


bob
P.S.  Nice to see you posting, especially when they are so well-presented.

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Bob, thanks to you for all of the info you share. I especially enjoy the comments from the other side. I may post a bit more. I post a lot of political viewpoint on FB and hoops comments might be a relaxing diversion. And obviously I have a limited tolerance for rumor and innuendo about my favorite (ex) Celtic, Rondo. But Ainge and Stevens are keeping me in the fold.

atcross wrote:A good team has rotation players and specialists. Rotation players need to be either the best at their position, net sum, or second best. Specialists need to be really good at one thing. Maybe the best on the team at that thing. Best perimeter defender. Best paint defender. Best shooter. Stevens has already said Gigi was the best shooter. Unless they can find better or much cheaper (and that's unlikely) I like Gigi's chances.

I agree. He could be a guy like Marco Belinelli who spreads the floor and doesn't do a whole lot else. Most coaches can use a limited role player like that, as long as he's not a defensive liability. Stevens certainly could.

Unfortunately, the tipping point is whether he'd accept the reduced paycheck he'd get as a lower rotation or end-of-roster player in the U.S.  I'd certainly like to see him come back.

I was thinking the other day about what if I could go back 45 years and would be back at the stage of my life when I became friendly with a Celtics player—but my choice would be from the current roster rather than the one including Sam Jones.  An GiGi would be the guy.  Yup—even more than Crowder.  He just seems to be the kind of person I'd enjoy being around.  And, in that kind of choice, it's the person who matters most—not the basketball player.

Sam