Re: Center options for the off-season.

by **Sam** Sun May 24, 2015 9:31 pm

Cowens, are you presuming to set yourself up with the authority to sanction board members for issuing praise where they feel it's due?

Believe it or not, board members have the right to express opinions with which you may disagree. Our board members are exceptionally blessed with basketball knowledge. They typically exercise logic in expressing their opinions; and, when they disagree with something, they do so politely. Perhaps some of their rationale might not penetrate as much as if they belabored the same old refrains to the point of absurdity. But they have the good grace and judgment to avoid that self-serving tactic.

This is at least twice that you've called the board "soft." Name-calling is against board rules. I hope you don't deem this comment on my part to be too "hard."

Moderator

by **cowens/oldschool** Mon May 25, 2015 1:18 pm

I'm no authoritarian on nothing Sam, you don't have to do anything, people/posters can stand up for themselves, they don't need you to be a mother hen.

by **cowens/oldschool** Mon May 25, 2015 1:22 pm

for example, bob heckler and I may see something different, neither of us is asking the moderator to jump in as we can both take care of ourselves.

by **cowens/oldschool** Mon May 25, 2015 1:29 pm

bobheckler wrote:
cowens/oldschool wrote:well bob maybe he can acquire Mr Intimidator by a trade or FA signing.

I don't know why everyone gives Danny a pass, he's made as many boneheaded decisions as Joe Dumars, but he still has a job, Dumars got fired.

cowens,

Maybe it has something to do with the championship Danny brought to Boston?

And don't give me the "Thank Kevin McHale for that" stuff. Read the thread about KG called " KG, the Oral History, Part 2: Glory in Boston, Quirky Traits and Returning Home" and you'll see it wasn't McHale nudging KG out the door, it was the owner Glen Taylor and even then he wasn't able to move that needle until after Danny got Ray. The article quotes people and isn't just suppositions or conspiracies. People make a big deal about the KG trade, as they should, but the acquisition of Ray Allen was huge too. Ray Allen, for all the harsh thoughts some Celtic fans harbor towards him now, is going into the HOF and still had lots of game when he came here. Would we have needed another top player if KG hadn't come here? Probably, but that would have been a lot easier thanks to Danny getting Ray. It's always easier to get the 3rd all-star than the 2nd.

Perk was an "intangibles" type of player, but he wasn't a great defender before KG came and he wasn't a great defender after he went to OKC. In fact, despite arguably having as good or better a roster in OKC than he had here (a younger one too, so more bites at the apple), they still didn't win a championship there.

bob

.

and Dumars won a championship too, then he made a bunch of boneheaded signings that didn't work, similar to Danny.

by **Sam** Mon May 25, 2015 9:14 pm

Cow, you broke a rule. Is that not clear? It's not about protecting anyone. It's about a no-name-calling rule that's aimed at trying to maintain an atmosphere that's conducive to convivial conversation.

"Seeing something different" is a big part of what this board is all about. Stop trying to imply that I'm censuring you for "seeing something different." With you, it's always a matter of style—or lack of it. But, as long as you brought up Bob Heckler, he's a good example of someone who often has a unique slant on things but doesn't have to be insulting to put his points across.

Please contact me off the board if you wish to continue this dialog.

Thank you.

Moderator

by **rambone** Mon May 25, 2015 9:40 pm

Cowens, I bet you didn't see this year's playoff run coming. I bet you thought we were years away from the playoffs because of dumb idiot Ainge and his 3-4 mistakes ending three years ago.

Not to mention, we competed with East Champion Cleveland. Might have won a game or four if a couple things had gone our way. LeBron and his star treatment in game one, and not ejecting Perk in game 4 when he punched our player twice.

And Danny could have cashed in all of these future draft picks at any time, but patiently held on to them. We played like the second best team in the East after January, and we had the record to prove it. Then we played better against the Cavs than any other team in the east, and we did it while they had Irving and Love, who they've been playing without while annihilating all the teams you presumably think are better than the Celtics.

We're basically the second best team in the east, with the most cap space, and the most draft picks, and the youngest roster.

I can think of 28-29 GMs who deserve more criticism, and 28-29 would agree.

by **rambone** Mon May 25, 2015 9:43 pm

As far as Jeff Green, Danny did end up getting a first round pick, Jerebko, and Datome for him.

And Danny drafted Fab Melo because KG wanted Danny to prove that he was serious about adding big man help for KG before he signed his 3 year extension, which quite possibly wouldn't have happened without Ainge drafting two big men at 21 and 22.

KG's three year contract ended up being one of the keys to attracting the Nets into the heist of the century.

by **cowens/oldschool** Mon May 25, 2015 10:40 pm

rambone we got to the playoffs by a fluke, but we did get there . This team right now is NOT what this franchise is about, we have no all star, a bunch of role players and bench players playing over their heads with a great coach....talent wins the deeper one gets in the playoffs, you seem to think we played well vs Cavs, we got swept 4-0.

by **tjmakz** Thu May 28, 2015 3:26 pm

kdp59 wrote:Cowens,

why do you think Upshaw is worth the #16 pick?

if you really want to upgrade our rim protecting (and I agree it should be priority one), then drafting someone at 16 or below most likely won't be much help next year.

better to look at free agents or possible trades to get that guy, IMO.

I was reading a question and answer part on Basketball Insiders and Alex Kennedy had some interesting comments on Upshaw:

Question: Mac

In his chat this week Steve Kyler was not subtle about Robert Upshaw having major skeletons in his closet that might make him undraftable altogether. I’ve seen many sites compare him to Hassan Whiteside as a rookie, shotblocking big with potential but off-court issues that scare teams away. If you were a team with a late first round pick (25th – 30th) do you take a flyer on Upshaw or does the off-court stuff outweight the oncourt potential? And do you think a NBA will take him in the first round this year?

Answer: Alex Kennedy

I don’t think Robert Upshaw is a first-round pick and I’m not even sure if he’ll be drafted, to be honest. As teams are digging into his situation and doing their homework, there are red flags left and right (and it’s not just the substance abuse, from what I’m told). I hope he can get the help he needs and turn his life around, but I’ve talked to some people around the NBA who say there’s no way they would pick him – in either round.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/chat/nba-chat-with-alex-kennedy-52715/

by **rambone** Thu May 28, 2015 3:33 pm

Jeffrey Dahmer had skeletons in his closet too.

maybe he's a sociopath like aaron hernandez.

by **wide clyde** Thu May 28, 2015 4:07 pm

I, for one, really like that this board's posters can make their points and not have to call people names when in disagreement. I used to post on BDC and finally got so sick and tired of guys trying to shred each other to prove that they were "right" in their opinions. I no longer even look at that site for the same reason.

Disagreement is what can make a board like this so interesting. Sometimes I agree with what someone may say and then the next day totally disagree with what that same guy may have said on the second day. There is absolutely nothing wrong with disagreeing on a discussion forum. I am 100 % sure that folks here disagree with me when Ipost stuff, but no one has ever attacked me for voicing my opinions like over at BDC.

The rules here are pretty simple. If you cannot follow them, head back over to BDC and you will find many guys who will gladly rip and snort at you when they disagree with you.

by **wide clyde** Thu May 28, 2015 4:17 pm

Back to the 'center for 2015-16' conversation, Upshaw, with his physical tools, has to be at least considered as a possible solution. Such tools may not make him an all star in his first year, but with Stevens and his staff coaching him he will only get better and better just like every guy who has been with Stevens in his first two years.

His physical testing done before the combine made every other center draft candidate look like a plodder including Okafor and the kid from Kentucky (brain freeze again, can't remember his name). Upshaw has speed, agility, quickness, explosiveness, length, height, etc, etc that no one else seem to compare with. Watching him on tape when at Washington also shows that he has timing, court awareness, etc, etc.

Of course, the issues that he has off the court have to be studied, studied and then studied some more to make him a viable draft pick. I am sure that the Cs are either still unearthing every tidbit of information on this kid if they have even a thought of drafting him with any specific pick or they have done enough to close the file on him and direct their attention elsewhere.

For us, the fans, the bad part is that we probably will not know what Ainge & Co are doing with him until draft day.

by **bobheckler** Sat May 30, 2015 1:26 pm

rambone wrote:Jeffrey Dahmer had skeletons in his closet too.

maybe he's a sociopath like aaron hernandez.

rambone,

Actually, I think they were in his freezer.

bob

.

by **Matty** Sat May 30, 2015 7:06 pm

sam wrote:Cowens,

The whole thing is in your hands. All you have to do between now and draft night is get your butt over to the Knicks' office. Take Steve with you; he's a promoter.

Seek out Phil Jackson, and threaten him with some of your martial arts. A gun would also work. Tell him he survives only if he trades his #4 pick (aka Cauley-Stein) to the Celtics for the Celts' second round pick this season and the wave of the future, James Young. And stay there with Phil until he completes the trade.

It could take a while. Take food.

Then the Celtics draft Cauley-Stein, Kaminsky, and Upshaw and beat all the other teams into submission next season.

It's all up to you and Steve, Cow.

Sam

I'd like a peace of that action myself

by **Sam** Sat May 30, 2015 9:57 pm

Hey, Hooter, how did your Appalachian trip go? I recall one report about some nice people you met. How was the rest of it?

Sam

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