http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4326 Recent articles about Tony Allen en-us On the day that James Posey was introduced in New Orleans and vows to do whatever the coach asks of him for a team he sees poised to make a run at the title, the Celtics officially re-signed Eddie House and Tony Allen. On Sports Tonight, Tony said that the math was simple. If Posey signed, he and Eddie would have had to find a home elsewhere. It was one or the other. Danny said that Doc was worried about letting Tony go because he feels that Tony is going to have a break out year after watching him practice at the end of last season. Another player who would have fit nicely on the Celtics is off the market. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Chris Andersen is returning to the Nuggets. The Birdman had visited Boston for 2 days early in the free agency period and Danny seemed to have interest in him and vice versa. Now, Andersen has agreed to a one year contract with the Nuggets and will continue his NBA comeback in Denver where he was a fan favorite from 2001-2004. I was hoping the Celtics would sign him, even though they already signed Patrick O'Bryant to back up Perk since O'Bryant may be more of a project than immediate help and Andersen would come in with athleticism and energy off the bench at the center position. Good signing by the Nuggets. Denver was reported to be seriously considering signing Francisco Elson to replace the recently departed Marcus Camby. With Andersen signing in Denver, that leaves Elson out and looking for another team that may want him. Depending on how quickly Patrick O'Bryant develops, a one year league minimum contract to Elson might make sense for the Celtics. Although, it would remain to be seen how KG would feel about playing with a guy who called him gay. Another player who had been linked to the Celtics as a possible Posey replacement was Maurice Evans. Mercury News reports that the Warriors have signed Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. This means that the Warriors will not match the offer that their restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike signed with the Clippers. Evans would have made sense to replace Posey because he is an athletic swingman who's known as a solid defender and good three-point shooter and would have filled those roles left vacant by Posey's departure. The Clippers and Jazz have swapped point guards. The Clippers will receive Jason Hart from the Jazz and will send Brevin Knight to Utah. Last season, when the Celtics were in the market for a back up point guard, Knight was considered a serious candidate but signed with the Clippers instead while Sam Cassell was bought out by the Clippers and ended up signing with the Celtics. This is starting to feel like a game of 6 degrees of separation. In David Thorpe's chat on ESPN.com, he was asked what he thought about JR Giddens and whether he will amount to anything or if Danny wasted a pick on him. Thorpe's response was that his athleticism could be a help off the bench. And when asked which 3rd year guy he sees improving the most from his sophomore season, Thorpe mentioned that Rondo should improve his game overall for next season. The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard-forward Nicolas Batum on Wednesday. Batum played the past three seasons in the French ProA League. He was the 25th overall pick in the draft by Houston who traded his rights to Portland. Leading up to the draft, Batum was a popular choice on the mock drafts for the Celtics with the 30th pick. The OC Register reports that the Lakers are no longer pursuing a trade for Ron Artest. Instead of the Ron Ron rumors in Laker land, there is talk that the Lakers have joined a list of teams interested in signing Luol Deng. The Bulls and Deng are having a hard time coming to an agreement on a deal and so rather than risk losing him, they may resort to a sign and trade and the Lakers are interested in making an offer if it comes to that. I can see a pattern to the players that the Lakers are pursuing this off season. Both Artest and Deng are known for giving Paul Pierce a hard time on defense. One of the problems the Lakers had in the Finals was trying to stop Paul Pierce. Getting either Artest or Deng would assure them of having a player who has given Pierce problems in the past. Now, if they only had an answer for KG, Ray Allen and Leon Powe, they would be all set. The Sixers have reached an agreement with Royal Ivey, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Ivey will not officially sign the minimum-salary contract until Monday, which is believed to be for 2 years and include a significant guarantee. Ivey will come off the bench to complement Lou Williams, that is, if the Warriors don't lure Williams away from Philly. That will give the Sixers 9 players under contract. Now that Josh Childress has made the leap to play in Europe next season, there is a lot of talk going around about other's following suit. Perhaps the most interesting is Jason Kidd talking about going to Europe when his contract is up. Playing in Europe could extend a player's career by a few years because they don't play the physical game that is found in the NBA. This is also why many European players have trouble adjusting to the NBA as they aren't used to the physical play that they run into when they come here. Carl Landry is also considering a jump to Europe if he can't get a satisfactory offer from an NBA team. Nenad Krstic is also considering joining fellow Nets free agent Bostjan Nachbar in accepting an offer to play overseas if he can't get the right deal from an NBA team. On the other hand, Bobby Brown, who made a big impression with his summer league play, rejected several offers to play overseas and is set to sign a 2 year deal with the Sacramento Kings. It seems that Brown was in demand as the Hornets pursues him along with Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Spanish giant Barcelona before he decided to accept the Kings' offer. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:37:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294826 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294826 The Boston Herald announced this morning that guards Eddie House and Tony Allen will re-sign with the Celtics. The contracts of House and Allen will both be two-year agreements, estimated around $2.5 million per year. House made a splash off the bench for the NBA champions all year. Even during a stretch in which his playing-time was limited during the playoffs, House provided some much needed energy and quality shooting. Unfortunately, his kid never got whacked in the face by Luke Walton's knee. [...] Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:34:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293215 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293215 According to the Boston Herald, both Eddie House and Tony Allen have agreed to re-sign with the Celtics. I think this is very good news. Tony Allen and Eddie House are staying in the fold. According to Danny Ainge, the Celtics have agreed to terms with each on two-year contracts. Ainge would not be specific on the financial figures, but according to a source, both are being paid in the mid-$2 million range. In the case of House, the money is roughly half the mid-level exception of $5.585 million. The Celtics did not have to use any of the mid-level on Allen, because he has been with the club four years and the team thus has his "Bird rights." Teams are allowed to pay to keep their own free agents who have been with the club three years. Now we need to find a replacement for Posey. I was hoping that Matt Barnes would be the one, but according to reports he is set to sign a league minimum deal with Phoenix. I am sure Danny has something up his sleeve but not sure what. We still have half the MLE and the LLE and veteran minimum contracts to sign someone and playing for the World Champs has to be a drawing card. But with the re-signing of House and Allen and the signing of O'Bryant, the roster is starting to shape up. There is still that one gaping hold left by Posey though. Maybe Danny has more hope for Walker than we realize. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:36:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293174 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293174 The Globe has a little tidbit buried at the end of an article about Marcus Camby. They report that the Celtics are still strongly interested in signing Eddie House and Tony Allen. The source said House and Allen are both also receiving interest from other teams as well. According to this, both are seeking three-year deals. I am sure the Celtics would want to sign as many 1 year minimum contracts as they can to limit their lux tax hit. They do have their MLE that they can split among players now that Posey is out of the picture. I think bringing both back would be a good move. If Tony can stay healthy, he can bring a lot of what they lost in Posey defensively. The Lakers have decided to let Ronny Turiaf go to the Warriors when they didn't match the offer made by Golden State. It is believed by many that the Warriors are over-paying for Turiaf just as many believe that the Hornets over paid for James Posey. The Lakers' off season approach is completely different from the Celtics' approach. The Celtics had 6 free agents and will more then likely let the majority of them go. They will have 2 rookies coming in and would not go the 4th year to retain Posey who was a crucial part of last season's team. The Lakers on the other hand are trying to keep their team from last year together as much as possible. There is much to be said for building chemistry and keeping a team together. It is a pretty risky move by Danny to think that you can bring in 5 or 6 new players and expect the same chemistry that led the Celtics to 66 wins and a title to return. The Warriors-Clippers-Sixers triangle continues as word is that the Warriors are now targeting the Sixers' restricted free agent Louis Williams. Williams' scoring knack would make him an intriguing fit in Don Nelson's system. Sources are reporting that the Warriors are planning to make a "big run" at him. This you take my player so I'll take yours is very interesting stuff. The Warriors are also reportedly interested in former Celtic Delonte West and the SF Chronicle reports that West might be close to signing an offer sheet. Since Delonte is a restricted free agent, the Cavs could match any offer the Warriors make to him. The Cavs are negotiating with West who reportedly seeking Beno Udrih type money (5 year/$32 million) and are also looking into possible replacements just to cover their backs. One possible alternative could be Orlando's Carlos Arroyo. The Dallas Morning News reports that the Mavs are unlikely to re-sign free agent 6-8 guard/forward Devean George. They also list a number of teams interested in the 6'8" guard/forward who averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds last season for Dallas. The Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Hornets have expressed interest in George and they project that with the loss of Posey, the Celtics may be the next in line to take a look at him. Dime reports that the team formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics will now be called the The Oklahoma City Thunder. I wonder what the mascot will look like. I don't think I have ever seen a thunder. Lightning...yes, thunder... no. Maybe they will have a puffy cloud type thing. I may be old school but I prefer the old names that ar plural like the Celtics, Bucks, Knicks, Lakers, etc. Players can say, "I am a Celtic" and it sounds good. Or I am a Laker or I am a Knick. It just sounds wrong to say I am a Heat. Or I am a Magic. Or I am a Thunder. Slow news day and too much time to ponder on all these things. Marc Stein has some interesting stuff on Darius Miles' suspension. Sources say all 30 teams were notified this week by league memorandum that the drug which earned Portland Trail Blazers castoff Darius Miles a 10-game suspension to start next season -- if Miles can find a job -- is the appetite suppressant Phentermine. A weight-loss drug, basically. Steep as a 10-game ban is, then, Miles' mistake is nothing bound to scare teams away from signing him. He's tried out for at least four clubs already this month -- Boston, Dallas, New Jersey and Phoenix -- and is expected to command no more than a minimum salary in his comeback from long-standing knee problems, because the 26-year-old still has $18 million in salary coming from the Blazers. I say he is worth taking a chance on. A minimum salary, partially picked up by the league isn't much to gamble on a kid with his potential, versatility and length. Danny said that he was impressed by his workout for the Celtics so I believe that Miles may still be in the mix to fill one of the Celtics' remaining spots. Danny has taken a chance on two other players who were passed over because of knee problems in Leon Powe and Bill Walker. Powe has worked out great and I have a feeling that Walker will too. But if Danny continues to wait, the Mavs are very interested in Miles as well and may be the team that takes a chance on him. Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:02:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292786 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292786 The big story is that James Posey, who was one of the most coveted free agents is now off the market. The Hornets were willing to give Posey what he asked for, and that is a 4 year, $25 million contract. The Celtics weren't willing to go that 4th year. Now that Posey is off the market, there may be more signings as the teams who were holding out and hoping to land Posey will now go to plan B and look to make a deal. This does seem to make both Chris Andersen and Janero Pargo a bit more available with their MLE wrapped up in Posey, the most they can offer is the league minimum. At least Posey didn't go to the Lakers. I don't think I could have stomached seeing him hugging Kobe before every game. With Posey off the table, the Celtics may attempt to re-sign one of their own free agents, Tony Allen. Allen's agent, Mike Higgins, said yesterday he expects the Celtics to make his client an offer. The Celtics also have swingmen J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker, both of whom are unsigned and although there were rumors that the Celtics might try to stash Walker overseas for a year, the loss of Posey may give him an opportunity to contribute right away. Ainge said that one player wouldn't replace Posey but rather that he would be replaced by committee and that he didn't have a free agent in mind. "We go to the next options," said Ainge, who might consider adding another big man. "We're not going to sign one player that is going to replace James Posey. We're going to do it in a different way and different fashion. We are going to reallocate our dollars in different ways." That big man may be Chris Andersen, who the Celtics showed interest in earlier. Andersen has been mentioned in rumors that Denver may be interested as well. I would love to have the Birdman in Boston. Bill Ingram of Hoopsworld reported that the Boston Celtics offered James Posey in a sign-and-trade deal to try to land land Billy Ron Artest. I don't know how much I believe that because this same Bill Ingram reported on Monday that Posey would be announcing his signing in 24 hours and was expected to re-sign with the Celtics. On the other hand, Danny made a run at Posey when the Pacers were trying to trade him and may try to get in on the bidding for him now that the Kings seem ready to move him again. The Mavs and Lakers are both making a pitch for him but to get him, it would seem that any team would have to take Kenny Thomas and his contract as well and I don't think the Celtics would want to do that. After weeks of saying that he was deciding between Boston and Phoenix and then skipping out on a physical in Miami on Monday, and going back to saying that it was between Boston and Phoenix, Tyronn Lue signed a one year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks worth between 2 and 2.5 million. The Celtics and Suns were both offering one year minimum contracts and the Bucks obviously were willing to offer more. So, the Celtics lost 2 free agents at the top of their list on the same day. This could get depressing. With their top free agent target off the market, the Suns are looking elsewhere for point guard help. Reports are that they are interested in Sam Cassell, Shaun Livingston and Jason Williams. Williams is good friends with Suns center Shaquille O'Neal and Cassell is a former Sun. The Suns can only offer the league minimum and so are hoping that they will find a player willing to sign for the minimum. Not only have the Celtics not been able to land their free agent targets, they haven't been able to reach an agreement with their first round draft pick, JR Giddens. As a few more of the remaining first-round picks signed their three-year guaranteed deals yesterday, which for the most part are based on their draft position, J.R. Giddens remained unsigned with no resolution of the situation in sight. Danny Ainge said that they haven't had any conversations and that the Celtics are concentrating on other things right now like letting James Posey get away. Giddens has the same agent as Posey and House. He was also Mark Blount's agent. I really am getting to dislike this guy. On the day that they lost James Posey to New Orleans, the Celtics made the signing of Patrick O'Bryant official. O'Bryant, a 7'0", 249lbs center, has appeared in 40 career games for the Golden State Warriors posting averages of 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. O'Bryant is scheduled to meet the Boston media in Waltham on Thursday morning at The Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint at 11:30 a.m. One team that was hoping to land Posey made a move on Wednesday as the Cavs signed Daniel Gibson to a 5 year deal. With Gibson safely in the fold, the Cavs will turn their attention to trying to re-sign Delonte West and they hope to come to an agreement with him soon as well. Delonte is a restricted free agent so the Cavs could match any offer he might get from another team. The Raptors made another move as they announced Wednesday they have signed guard Roko Ukic to a three-year contract. Ukic was a second-round selection (41st overall) by the Raptors in the 2005 NBA Draft. Ukic, 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, played in Italy last season with Lottomatica Virtus Roma. He averaged career highs of 11.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 19 Euroleague contests. The Star Tribune reports that the Timberwolves have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Craig Smith. The Wolves have not yet signed restricted free agents Ryan Gomes and several teams have been pursuing Gomes. Teams such as Cleveland could intensify their pursuit now that Boston free agent James Posey has signed with New Orleans. Gomes' agent likely is eyeing the full mid-level exception of $5.6 million for next season. If Gomes signs with another team, the Wolves have seven days to match the offer or let Gomes go. Many Celtics fans have hopes of seeing Gomes in Celtics green again but it is doubtful that Danny will offer the full MLE to get him. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Marcus Camby was blindsided, distraught, disrespected and insulted by the trade that sent him from the Nuggets to the Clippers for a second round draft pick. The Nuggets are considering Chris Anderson as a replacement for Camby. Bull's restricted free agent Luol Deng's options are limited after the Clippers' trade for Marcus Camby. The Clippers with their cap space were considered a possibility for Deng, but Camby's salary will use up a large portion of that space. Only the Grizzlies have conserable cap space but are in cost cutting mode and are unlikely to look to sign a free agent for big bucks. This leaves three options for Deng: hit on a long-term extension with the Bulls, sign a one-year tender offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2009, or convince the Bulls to execute a sign-and-trade. It was reported at the time that the hold up on a Kobe or a KG trade was the fact that the Bulls did not want to include Deng. If they can't come to an agreement, they may have passed up two big opportunities for nothing. According to a source close to Dallas, the Mavericks offered 14th year swingman Jerry Stackhouse and fourth-year forward Brandon Bass for Kings small forward Ron Artest. The Kings are not expected to entertain the offer if it doesn't include Dallas small forward Josh Howard, but the inquiry certainly reveals the level of the Mavs' interest. According to the source, Howard does not appear to be available. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:43:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291641 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291641 Now that James Posey has made his decision and moved on to the Hornets, the Celtics need to make a move to fill their bench once again. At this point last season, everyone was talking about the Celtics weak bench and the need to fill the back up positions and we are back in the very same position this year. We have the starting 5 in place and if anything, they should be better than last season with both Perk and Rondo having another season of experience under their belts. Ray Allen came into last season after having double ankle surgery in the offseason and he should start out much stronger than he did last season. They have 2 promising rookies who are both known for their athleticism and defense. They also have Big Baby Davis, Leon Powe, and Gabe Pruitt who will all be another year better. They just signed Patrick O'Bryant to back up Perk in the center and he has a lot of potential but is also a question mark at this point. So, who is left out there to fill the blanks at the wing positions off the bench? Tony Allen 6'4" 26 years old 6.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 18.4 mpg The most obvious would be to resign Tony Allen on a 2 year league minimum contract. He didn't make a great impression on the league last season so I don't imagine he will be offered much more than that by another team. He's a potent slasher who can get to the rim thanks to a quick first step, and he's a thunderous finisher in transition. Like Posey, Tony excels on the defensive end of the court. Tony's athleticism makes him a very strong defender. The Celtics can re-sign him without using the MLE by using his Bird rights or a minimum contract. Matt Barnes 6'7" 28 years old Matt Barnes might be the free agent with the closest skill set to what the Celtics lost in James Posey. He is a hustle defender who can guard the 2, 3 or 4 and he can also hit big shots. His shooting draws big men away from the basket in the half court, and he handles the ball well enough to be a point forward at times. His toughness is valuable and his activity in the passing lanes makes him a threat to steal the ball. I think Danny can get him for a portion of the MLE just as he did Posey last season. Barnes would be my first choice along with a combination of Tony Allen and another player or two. Eddie House 6'1" 30 years old 7.5 ppg, 1.9 apg, .8 spg House wants to come back to Boston, but he wants more than the 1.5 million he got last year along with a longer contract than one year. House knows the system, played well last season and bought into ubuntu, never complaining when his minutes were cut and coming up with big shots in the playoffs. He is instant offense off the bench and can handle the point guard duties effectively. Danny shouldn't overpay for House, but if he can get him back for a reasonable contract, he should go for it. Maurice Evans 6'5" 29 years old 8.9 ppg, 1.1 apg, 3.1 rpg He can hit 3-pointers from the corner and will pull up from 17 off the dribble going to his left, plus he's a good rebounder for his size.Evans is a stay-at-home defender who rarely gambles for steals, but his size can be a negative when he's used at small forward. He's a poor dribbler but is strong and quite athletic. He'll throw down jams on the break but isn't as good in the halfcourt. Jannero Pargo 6'1" 28 years old 8.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, .6 spg With the signing of Posey, Pargo may have become more expendable. He hit some big shots in the playoffs for them and may have improved his stock. He has been mentioned as a target by several teams. He's quick and a decent shooter, so he can be very tough to guard when he gets rolling, but he isn't a great ball handler and tends to get called for carrying the ball at least once or twice a game. Defensively, Pargo struggles, which may eliminate him as a target for the Celtics as they built their team around defense last season. His lack of both size and strength makes him easy prey for opposing guards to post up, plus he gambles a too much. His quickness is an asset against fast guards, but on most nights he's a liability. Chris Andersen 6'10" 30 years old 1.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, .8 bpg Andersen is another player who may have become much more available with the signing of Posey. The Celtics have shown interest in him and he was in Boston for 2 days working out and talking with the Celtics. He should be available for the minimum or slightly above. He can back up the 4 and 5 and can defend the 3, 4 and 5 because of his sizes and athleticism. Stephon Marbury 6'1" 31 years old 13.9 ppg, 4.7 apg, .9 spg Marbury seems to be the odd man out in New York and there are reports that the Knicks will buy out the remainder of his contract. He has mentioned that he would like to play in Boston and KG has mentioned that they had a good relationship in Minny when they played there together. Pierce has mentioned that the Knicks should cut Marbury because he would fit better with a veteran team. Marbury isn't as explosive as he was in his prime, but he still is one of the strongest drivers in the league when going to his right. Marbury has improved his catch-and-shoot game the past couple seasons and his high-arcing 3-point shot has to be respected. Defensively, Marbury has the strength to handle matching up against shooting guards in a small backcourt. He does a reasonable job staying in front of point guards too. Marbury wouldn't do anything to replace Posey, but he could replace Cassell and House. The question with him would be attitude, but with KG on his case, that shouldn't be a problem in Boston. He also may sign for the minimum if NY gives him enough in his buyout. Ricky Davis 6'7", 31 years old 13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.4 apg Ricky was one of my favorite players when he was in Boston. There were reports of his being a problem, but only after he was gone. Davis is one of the best midrange shooters in the league. He's absolutely deadly from 15 feet off the curl, especially on the left side of the court. He's also a very good passer.Davis locks in when guarding the ball, especially if it's a big-time scorer, but away from the play he tends to lose focus, not to mention his man. I doubt Danny would go for RickyD part 2, but he is an option and wouldn't be a bad one either. Quentin Ross 6'6" 27 years old 4.1 ppg, 1.2 apg, 43% 3P% Ross was all but useless offensively in his first two pro seasons, relying solely on his defensive skills to earn his playing time. But he has become more of an offensive threat, shooting 43% from beyond the arc last season. Ross' outstanding agility makes him one of the league's best defensive stoppers. He's not quite in the elite category because of physical limitations -- he's 6-6 so some bigger players can shoot over him, and at 193 pounds he's not as good in post defense as he is on the perimeter. However, he's great at staying in front of people and manages to be a pest at the same time -- he ranked in the top 20 at his position in both blocks and steals per minute. He would very likely sign for the minimum. Trenton Hassell 6'5" 29 years old 2 ppg, 1.3 rpg, .7 apg Hassell is a tough defender who does his best work against taller players. He's a good leaper who gets up to challenge shots even against 6-9 or 6-10 opponents, plus he has good quickness and a stopper's mentality. He never gambles -- he had the worst rate of steals per minute at his position -- but instead relies on his ability to challenge shots. Offensively, he is a liability. He can make the midrange shot when open, but shouldn't be counted on to make the big shots that Posey did. But, he would fill the hole left on defense that Posey's departure leaves. Bonzi Wells 6'5" 31 years old 9.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 apg One of the strongest guards in the league, Wells is nominally a shooting guard but prefers to play around the basket. He's tough to guard on the blocks, where he likes to shoot a high-arcing turn around jumpers. He is a very good rebounder and his rebound rate ranked first among all guards two seasons ago. He's not a good long-range shooter, however, shooting only 33% from beyond the arc for his career. Defensively, Wells has great anticipation that helps him to a very high steals rate. But he's also 31 and has had multiple knee surgeries, so beating him off the dribble isn't much of a challenge for quicker guards. As a result, Wells rarely guards top scorers and instead looks to intercede off the ball. There are more, but this gives hope that the Celtics can land a few good players who can give them the same qualities on the court that James Posey did. There are restricted free agents such as Josh Smith and Josh Childress, and Ryan Gomes who would be a great fit, but they are likely to demand much more than the Celtics are looking to spend and their teams would probably match any offer the Celtics could make. I think there are enough talented players out there that will give the Celtics a bench just as good if not better than last season. Now it is up to Danny to put Plan B into effect and find the right players at the right price. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:50:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291424 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291424 It's officially official... James Posey's reign as Celtic hero has come to end over an additional year on his contract. As the Green Nation tries to gather our thoughts and pick up the shattered pieces, we're left wonder what Danny's Plan B is (hoping that he has a Plan B). Frankly, I'm not thrilled with trying to repeat without Posey, but there are other options out there (although none of them carry the same clout as Big Game James). Let's look at some possibilities: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:16:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291310 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291310 he Celtics have 9 players under contract right now with a total payroll of 71,369,509. That alone is more than likely going to be over the salary cap and very close to luxury tax level. They also have 6 free agents: Tony Allen, James Posey, Sam Cassell, PJ Brown, Scot Pollard, and Eddie House. They have the MLE (5.8 million), the LLE(1.8 million) and veteran minimum salaries to work with in signing free agents. The first and more important priority has to be to do whatever it takes to sign James Posey. Posey is key to this team if they want to repeat. He is a player who will do whatever it takes to win. He is a lock down defender, capable of shutting down the opposing team's player. He rebounds, dives for loose balls, takes charges, hits the big shot in crunch time, and gives hugs to the starters before the game. Most importantly, he brings leadership and a championship mindset to the team. You just can't replace a guy like that. The Celtics biggest rivals: the Lakers, Pistons, and Cavaliers are all interested in luring Posey away from the Celtics. There is a very good reason for this. One of the problems that each team had with the Celtics was that none of them had anyone who could stop Paul Pierce. If they get James Posey, they have that player who is capable of stopping Pierce, along with every other star player in the league whether they are guards or forwards. They also had problems with players fading in crunch time. With Posey on their team, they have a player who consistently came up big in crunch time. Danny needs to do whatever it takes to keep James Posey in green. PJ Brown is planning to retire and Scot Pollard shouldn't be offered a contract. He isn't what this team needs. The Celtics need a center to back up Perk. Chris Andersen is in Boston talking to Danny and he would be a great back up center. He brings energy off the bench, is strong and a good defender. He wants to be a Celtic and Danny needs to sign him. I think he would take the veteran's minimum to play here since it would be a great situation for him. Sam Cassell should retire and join the Celtics coaching staff. He didn't work out as hoped last season and so if he wants to play another season, hopefully it will be elsewhere. The starting point guard spot is solidly filled with Rajon Rondo, but Danny needs to address the back up. Gabe Pruitt is looking strong in the Celtics' mini camp and I think he will be able to fill the back up point guard spot. For insurance, the Celtics also should re-sign Eddie House. House can back up both guard spots and if not needed at the point, he is a great shooter and could fill in for Ray at the 2. Also, he also is fully indoctrinated into ubuntu. He never complained when his minutes were severely cut in the playoffs and when he was called on, he came up big. Finally, with the 3 spots left, they can bring back Tony Allen for a veteran's minimum make good contract and keep Giddens and Walker with the team and give them a shot to prove themselves in practice and if they aren't getting enough playing time, they can go to the D-League to get some experience there. To me, keeping the same team together as much as possible would be key to winning again. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:54:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285663 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285663 the google news feed tells me that the celtics have not only made an offer to james posey, but to corey maggette as well. that was unexpected. but AWESOME. but how long will maggette take a midlevel exception? the celts don't have much to work with money wise, but i would love to see maggette heading to boston. it wouldn't surprise me if he headed back to la if davis is obtained with brand and another excellent FA find. the pistons and the hornets seem to hold the most interest in posey outside of boston, and i find myself concerned with the moves the hornets may make since they gave up draft picks for the upcoming season. i also find myself wondering what's going to happen to jannero pargo. no word on the fates of eddie house or tony allen yet. tony's unrestricted now but doc wants to bring him back, so i think that something could work out. he's not a big blip on any free agency radars. i hope we get eddie back, too, but i think he stock rose a good bit with the run for the ring. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:16:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284742 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284742 In an AP article reported in the Herald, Danny discussed his thoughts on this year's draft. Some of the highlights: ** The Celtics have worked out about 50 potential draftees, similar to last year's number, and that list has been reduced to 23 possible players for the 30th pick. ** There's not much room for the players the Celtics draft with the 30th and 60th picks to contribute next season. ** It's a real longshot that he would trade to get a better pick ** Ainge thinks Gabe Pruitt can contribute next season. He thinks Pruitt would have been a first-round draft pick this season if he had he stayed in school for a fourth year. ** There's a few players that they wouldn't draft if they wouldn't consider playing overseas for a few years to develop their games. ** Signing Posey is a priority for the team. It doesn't seem as though anyone really has any idea how the bottom of the draft will go. Here are some of the predictions for the Celtics. CBS Sports Devon Hardin, C, Robin Lopez, C College Hoopsnet Ryan Anderson, PF/SF NBADraft.net Omer Asik, PF/C Hoopsworld DeVon Hardin, C Draft Express DeVon Hardin, C Hoopshype DeVon Hardin, C RealGM Courtney Lee, SG MSNBC Courtney Lee, SG Scout Javale McGee, C SI.com (Thomsen) Roy Hibbert, C Inside Hoops Richard Hendrix, PF NBC Sports Courtney Lee, SG Sporting News Trent Plaisted, F/C NBA Draft University Roy Hibbert, C ESPN (Chad Ford) Courtney Lee, SG 4 pick DeVon Hardin and 4 pick Courtney Lee and a couple for Roy Hibbert. It will be interesting to see what Danny does with the pick. The Pacers and Raptors have almost completed a trade that would send Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors for TJ Ford and the 17th pick. It makes sense for both teams and I believe it makes both teams better. The Bulls will also be better with the addition of the #1 pick. The Pistons are going to make moves. They have been trying to get Carmelo Anthony and Baron Davis. Teams are going to be very different for many teams next season. The Celtics need to keep up with all these Eastern conference teams that are improving. They will all be gunning for the Celtics and so they need to be ready. There has already been a big trade involving the 17th pick. I expect some big trades and maybe big names moved at the draft. There have been rumors of Wade moving and maybe Marion. Even though the Celtics don't pick until #30, I expect it to be an interesting draft to watch because of what the other teams do as they scramble to keep up with the Celtics. Draft Express reports that of all #30 picks, 0% become stars, 4% become solid starters, 33% end up solid bench players and 63% end up out of the NBA or just barely hanging on. The last 10 #30 picks were: 2007 Petteri Koponen 2006 Joel Freeland 2005 David Lee 2004 David Harrison 2003 Maciej Lampe 2002 Steve Logan 2001 Trenton Hassell 2000 Marko Jaric 1999 John Celestand 1998 Ansu Sesay But, there have been some very solid picks in the second round. Danny has found some gems in Leon Powe (49), Ryan Gomes (50), Big Baby Davis (35) and Gabe Pruitt (32). Other 2nd round steals include: Gilbert Arenas (31) Cuttino Mobley (41) Francisco Elson (41) Manu Ginobili (57) Eddie House (37) Eduardo Najera (38) Michael Redd (43) Mehmet Okur (38) Carlos Boozer (35) Matt Barnes (46) Jason Kapono (31) Kyle Korver (51) Trevor Ariza (43) Monta Ellis (40) Daniel Gibson (42) Danny has proved that he is good at finding late round gems. Here's a look at his draft history as GM of the Celtics. 2003 Marcus Banks #11 Kendrick Perkins #27 Brandon Hunter #56 2004 Al Jefferson #15 Delonte West #24 Tony Allen #25 Justin Reed #40 2005 Gerald Green #18 Ryan Gomes #50 Orien Green #53 2006 Trade #7, Raef LaFrenz and Dan Dickau for Telfair, Ratliff and '08 2nd rounder Rajon Rondo #21 Leon Powe #49 2007 Trade #5, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West for Ray Allen and #35 Big Baby Davis #35 Gabe Pruitt #32 There are a few misses in that list (Brandon Hunter, Orien Greene) and a few that may still pan out like Gerald Green and Justin Reed. But there are a lot more hits. Danny made a good point that if Powe and Gomes had come in on this team, they wouldn't have developed near as quickly because of the talent ahead of them. Whoever he picks with #30, even if he can become a rotation player will have more trouble getting the playing time to develop. Just like the good old dayw when rookies had to pay their dues before cracking the rotation. Although Perk sure had to pay his dues. 30 minutes is entire first season and only 9 mpg over 60 games his second season. It paid off, through. Amazing that a year ago we were debating over who to take with the 5th pick and still stinging from the lottery snub. What a difference a year makes. It may not be as much fun debating over the 30th pick as it was the 5th or 7th picks but, I'll take it. Last year we had 2 months to consider our pick. This year, just about a week. I have faith that if anyone can find a steal with the 30th pick, Danny can. After the draft, the emphasis will turn to free agents. Posey will get offers from several teams. His agent has said that he really likes it in Boston and wants to return. Hopefully Danny can get him re-signed. Then he has to decide on what to do with Tony, Eddie, PJ, and Sam. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:04:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282528 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282528 I thank Doc Rivers for having the courage to bring out his new team to Rome in October to have them get to know each other.... this doesnt work out so perfectly with everyteam.. more than once, a coach has tried it with hopes of the team becopming great friends... The Celtics are a family of brothers.. some more like the fathers n grandfathers (veterans), .. while some are the little toddlers... (rookies). They started out not knowing each others names. But now with too many nick names to count, you can see they are a FAMILY. I see on tv how the big three treat Rondo, Pruitt, Big Baby Glen Davis like little brothers who care for each other... Before the start of every game, Posey gives the starting line up a HUGE tight gripping hug, supplied with encouraging words. The young players admitting that they wanted this win so much for the older players like Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Casell, PJ Brown, just showed that they cared so much for their teamates who havent won a championship in their whole career... I once read an article quoting Pruitt on how in Rome, the big three could have easily gotten their own limos seperate from the team, but decided to go with the others.. and how every day in Rome, they taught n showed the young ones how to do things... they weren't selfish, but decided to get to know EVERYONE on the team. Brotherly love. The team chemistry of brotherhood helped us win the champinoship. Though random arguments and fights and scuffles occurred, thats nothing to worry about. Brothers always argue. They still got along on the court and off. Scot Pollard and Brian Scalabrine not playing mcuh or at all this season, brought out the jokes and humor to keep the team happy and fun. Everyone added something unique into that bunch. When i read of the team dinners, i always wish i was apart of it. Being able to go to the restaurants with them and hearing what each has to say. Humbleness, Brotherhood.... and UBUNTU.. were the key Like Powe said to kg after he almost fainted and the win was final... " I got you, I got you kg, i got you". The Lakers didnt have any of that. Selfishness n pride ruined their road to the championship.. they weren't a team.. nope, not at all As Ray Allen had said, they wernt the big three... more like the Big 15. So thanks to Danny Ainge, and Doc Rivers, for making that crucial decision of a Rome trip. :) Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:58:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281229 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281229 and so it begins. the postseason. also known as - the basketball free time, in which i am rather sad and much more focused on other things in life, like leaving the house when a game would normally be on, or spending hard earned dollars on tasty beers and trips to the beach instead of a random ticket. another alias? the time that i pine for ncaa and nba action like it's my job. good grief, what am i going to do with myself until the fall? try to have a solidly awesome fantasy football team? begin mass production of what would randy moss do bracelets? try to pay attention to an entire game of baseball? i love the sox, but come on, that's a lot to ask for! replay the tournament over again to keep myself entertained? develop a sudden obsession with the mechanics of table tennis? learn to blog about interesting subjects like how many vertebrae the average tyrannosaurus rex has? quietly mutter about how we were a tyree catch away from a trifecta? (as long as i live, i will never forgive that guy. ever.) with a grad school stint looming, this was my season of celtics - being able to go to games and cap it off with a trip to the clincher. i apologize if i sound like an ass, but i'm still in shock and very happy disbelief. and as popular as it is to say on yardbarker these days, i do actually owe my renewed interest in the celtics to a certain kentucky player who got sent to boston. i had a soft spot for the celtics because of antoine walker, but in 2006, it became a vested interest, thanks to my dad, who had (hell, still has) a habit of calling me after UK wins and asking, "did you see rondo? he was awesome!" my pops, he loves his uk basketball. and that got instilled into everyone in our family. once a player is a great wildcat, you want to see them do well in the future. getting back to the celtics point, this season suddenly became a really crazy journey for the city of boston. people embraced the celtics again. i went from being laughed at at the preseason finale in october for cheering like a nerd for my favorite celtic to joining throngs of fans and friends in raucous yells for the bench. last year? drunk in the cheap seats. this year? taking in every moment with an eagle eye and relishing it. last summer? "why do you want that guy's shirt - he's a non performer!" to seeing 10 of the same shirt on my walk home from work this evening. it's amazing how much winning changes this city. even yesterday on the way to TD, people rolled down their windows and said "we will win it tonight!" that NEVER happens! and i, no, we, owe it all to every person on that team. it's like doc said, money and trade moves cannot buy you a championship. trusting your teammates, stepping up for them when they need you, and bringing your best game to the parquet will lead you there. it's about teamwork, sacrifice and dedication, and i've never been so fortunate to see a roster like this work together (i still remember the hornets when i was a kid, but it never felt like this). leon powe became a star and a success story over the season, big baby became the rookie fan favorite. rondo became a household name (and internet wonder). eddie house reminded me of the tasmanian devil. tony mastered his reverse, and emphatic dunk against the lakers. posey became as indispensable as garnett, pierce and allen. perk IS A BEAST. pj and sam were embraced so readily it was like they started the season in the garden. and the not-big-three were pivotal to making this city care about basketball again. i even have coworkers who love basketball! unreal! and pierce is finally, FINALLY, getting the respect and recognition he earned from his tenure here, and sticking with boston like it did with him. garnett and allen finally have their well-deserved championships. and i can only wonder if i will be satisfied watching from afar next year. after a season like this, it'll be tough, but i bet i'll find a way to make the best of it. after all, i have the internet to complain to if i can't, right? Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:58:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279732 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279732 Somewhere Red Auerbach is smiling and lighting up a victory cigar. The Celtics delivered a beatdown of epic proportions Tuesday night to win their record seventeenth NBA championship, and first in 22 years. This year's final match-up was billed as a rebirth of the classic East Coast-West Coast rivalry that captivated the country in the 1980s, but turned into a lopsided affair dominated by the Boston defense. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:19:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279455 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279455 In what looked to be a blow out loss for the Celtics for 3 quarters, the Celtics showed a lot of heart and came back from 24 down to win the game 97-91. The Lakers got off to a fast start and at the end of one quarter, they trailed 35-14, which was the largest first quarter lead lead in Finals history. The Celtics shot only 27% in the first quarter while allowing the Lakers to shoot 65%. The Second quarter started much like the first quarter ended as the Celtics allowed the Lakers easy shots and struggled with their own offense. The Celtics went on a 12-0 run and cut the lead to 12 with 2:50 to go but the Lakers came back strong and took a 58-40 lead going into the have on a Farmar 3 pointer at the buzzer. At the half, the Lakers were shooting 50% to just 35% for the Celtics. They were out rebounding the Celtics 26-16 and had 15 assists to just 4 for the Celtics. Pierce showed that he was going to be more aggressive as he drove to the hoop and was fouled on the first play. He also took over defending Kobe and made him work for every shot he got. The Celtics cut the lead to 12 once againg with 9:53 left in the third. On the next play, the Celtics were once again hit by an injury as Odom drove to the hoop and caught Perk's arm as he tried to block the shot. Perk immediately grabbed his shoulder and went back to the locker room and didn't return. The Celtics kept chipping away at the lead and ended the third quarter on a 21-3 run to pull to 73-71 at the end of 3. The Celtics tied the game at 73 on a bank shot by Powe with 10:07 left in the fourth. They had several chances to take the lead but couldn't get over the hump as the Lakers would go up and then the Celtics would tie it 8 times before the Celtics finally took their first lead at 84-83 on an Eddie House jumper with 3:53 left. The Celtics never looked back as went on to win the game 97-91. The difference once again was the Celtics defense. They stepped it up in the third quarter and got the stops. Pierce bounced back from his poor game 3 and took over in the second half. He shot 6-13 for 20 points along with 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. His defense on Kobe was huge in the second half as it allowed the Celtics to play him with single coverage and keep a man on the Lakers' 3 point shooters. KG also bounced back and true to his word, played inside more, finishing with 16 points (7-14), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in 37 minutes. Ray Allen was once again incredible. He played all 48 minutes of the game and finished with 19 points (6-11), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. After playing the whole game, he was still able to get to the rim for a layup with 15.7 seconds left. Rondo started the game and played 17 minutes but struggled somewhat. Doc went with Sam at first and after 6 minutes with no points, 2 fouls and 1 turnover, Doc turned to Eddie House who once again came through with 11 points on 4-9 shooting to go with 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in 24 minutes. Perk played just 13 minutes before going out with the shoulder injury. After the game, Perk said that it was the same shoulder that he had surgery on a couple of years ago. He said it was just a strain and not a dislocation and that he would be ready to play on Sunday. PJ Brown played 14 minutes and had 3 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal. Doc chose to go small for much of the game and Posey got the bulk of the minutes and hit some huge shots down the stretch finishing with 18 pionts, and 2 rebounds. Leon Powe played 9 solid minutes finishing with 3 points and 5 rebounds. Tony Allen saw his first Finals action as he pulled down 1 rebound in just over 2 minutes. After shooting just 35% in the first half, the Celtics shot 55% in the second while holding the Lakers to just 34% in the second half. The Lakers out rebounded the Celtics by 1 for the game, but in the second half, the Celtics won the rebounding battle 24-15. The Lakers had 5 players in double figures with Lamar Odom leading the way with 19 points on 8-11 shooting. Kobe had 17 points and 10 rebounds but shot just 6-19 from the floor. Sasha Vujacic, who burned the Celtics in game 3, finished with just 3 points on 1-9 shooting. The Celtics showed tremendous heart in coming back from the 24 point deficit and closing out the game with a win. The Lakers can't complain about the officiating in this game. They got off to an early 15-2 free throw advantage in the first quarter when they were being very aggressive going to the basket. But, as the Celtics picked up their defense and kept the Lakers out of the paint and at the same time, they were more aggressive on the offensive end, the free throws evened out. In the end, the Lakers shot 29 free throws and the Celtics shot 28. The Celtics now have 3 tries to win one game. No team has ever come back from being down 3-1 in the finals to win it. The Celtics are in control of the series and it is theirs now to win or lose. They showed tonight that they have the heart and toughness to win it all. Just 48 more minutes of Celtics defense and #17 will be a reality. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:22:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277472 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277472 Everyone was still writting us off wen we lost gm 3.. but plz tell me u guys cant say lakers are the better team wen they had a 24 pt lead.. but still lose by 6... bhaha Celtics in 6 still as i have always said.. U cant sleep on them... how are the Lakers going to win 3 striaght?? Let alone two in boston???? EVERYONE played great.. good thing rajon rondo took the bench.. his foot was hurting n hurting the team.. so everyone stepped up... Great playoff game!! Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:12:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277449 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277449