http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4660 Recent articles about Kendrick Perkins en-us Scott Souza has this story (http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1816441896/Pain-was-worth-it-for-Perkins) today: Perkins, who underwent surgery on the shoulder in 2006 after two dislocations, experienced nagging pain throughout the second half of this season before enduring a more serious strain in Game 4 of the Finals. Though he reluctantly sat out Game 5 in Los Angeles, he forced his way back into the starting lineup for the clinching Game 6 in Boston two days later. Despite being back under the knife 15 days later, Perkins said he has no regrets about playing through the strain in Game 6. Yeah, I knew about it, he said of the extent of the injury. But I wasn't sitting. Of course you weren't sitting Perk. That's not in your blood. If your arm was hanging by a thread, you'd ask the trainers to strap it to your side and let you go out there and defend Pau Gasol with one arm. And you'd be dead serious about it too. (By the way, he expects to be 100% by training camp, according to the article) There aren't enough true tough big guys in the game anymore. These days the toughest guys seem to be the guards like Iverson or even... Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:59:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291108 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291108 James Posey and Eddie House were both signing autographs at Borders in downtown Boston and promoting the Championship DVD. According to the AP, fans made their way through the line and told the players they hoped to have them back for a repeat, with Posey telling one fan: "Me, too. Me, too." You know, I am getting rather tired of Mark Bartelstein. He represents both James Posey and Eddie House along with several other key free agents. Bartelstein reports no decisive movement in negotiations for his free agent client as of early tonight. But the Celtics could be in danger in losing another player represented by Bartelstein — Eddie House. The Celts would love to get House back on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum, but he's looking for more money and more years. According to Bartelstein, 2 or 3 other clubs have made offers better than the one the Celtics are making. Even though he would prefer to stay with the Celtics, if the offers are there, he will probably walk. The Globe reports that Posey is looking for a 4 year contract and so far no one is offering to go 4 years. They also say that Cleveland is Posey's best bet for a move. He has received a lot of fan support as he was out and about promoting the Celtics' DVD and the interaction with fans has reinforced Posey's intention to stay in Boston, but he said it will not influence his decision as it will be a business decision, not a personal one. While Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have all said that they have reached out to Posey encouraging him to stay, Leon Powe said he is staying out of the Posey recruiting process. "I stay out of grown folks' business," said Powe. I love Leon!!!! ESPN is reporting that the Clippers made a big move on Tuesday when they agreed with the Nuggets on a deal that will send defensive stalwart Marcus Camby to LA for a future second round draft pick. Not a bad trade. Since the Clippers are under the cap, they don't need to give equal salary in return for Camby. Dumping the remaining two years of Camby's contract (worth nearly $15 million) will allow the Nuggets more flexibility to fill other needs on the team. Talk about a deal! The Clippers were close to making an offer for Josh Smith, but when this opportunity came up, they jumped at it, not wanting to take a chance on waiting to see if the Hawks matched their offer for Smith. Josh Smith seems to be the big loser in all this. He missed out on a big contract offer with the Sixers when they signed Brand and now he has missed out on a big contract offer from the Clippers. The competition for his services seems to be drying up and he will be left with whatever the Hawks want to give him. The Warriors signed their first round pick, Anthony Randolph on his 19th birthday. The contract is for two years with team options for the third and fourth seasons. Randolph, the 14th overall pick, will make about $3.5 million in his first two seasons. The Warriors are still looking for point guard help. According to SFGate, Delonte West was high on the Warriors' list, but is believed to be signing a nice deal elsewhere. Golden State might end up going the trade route. Memphis has three point guards, O.J. Mayo, Mike Conley, and Javaris Crittendon, and Crittendon would fit well on the Warriors. It doesn't appear that the Warriors would be interested in Stephon Marbury if he's bought out by the Knicks. The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Magic have found their back up point guard, signing Anthony Johnson to a 2 year contract. This is the second time around for Johnson in Orlando as he was traded to the team from Atlanta in 2000, but they renounced his rights 6 months later to make room to sign Tracy McGrady. The Magic are still in the market for a third point guard and have been in talks with the Grizzlies concerning one of their young point guards. particularly Javaris Crittenton. The MetroWest Daily reports that Perk estimated he was at between 60 and 80 percent health during the five games of the NBA Finals in which he played. They are reporting that he experienced nagging pain throughout the second half of this season before the injury in the Finals kept him out of game 5. Though he reluctantly sat out Game 5 in Los Angeles, he forced his way back into the starting lineup for the clinching Game 6 in Boston two days later. Perkins said he intends to resume some basketball-related activities by the end of the month and will be ready to go at full speed well before training camp begins on Sept. 30. The Indy Star is reporting that the Pacers are looking to trade point guard Jamaal Tinsley and also to sign a power forward. The Pacers have 16 players under contract with several of those expiring contracts that would be attractive to teams trying to clear space for the 2010 free agent rush. They also have a 2.7 million dollar trade exception so they are in good shape going into a trade market. The Pacers tried to solve both issues in one deal by offering Tinsley to Miami for power forward Udonis Haslem, but the Heat are reluctant to give up Haslem. With quite a few teams looking for a point guard, they shouldn't have a problem finding a taker for Tinsley. The NY Post is reporting that the Knicks have agreed to sign free-agent guard Anthony Roberson to a two year deal. This deal is likely to quicken the departure of Stephon Marbury from the team. The Knicks appeared to be waiting to add another backcourt player before making a move with Marbury and with the signing of Roberson, who is playing well for their Summer League team, Marbury appears to be on the outs. The Knicks have 16 players under contract now and along with Marbury, Jerome James is on the bubble to be cut from the team. The Suns are still hoping that Tyronn Lue will sign with the club. They are offering only the veteran's minimum to back up Steve Nash. The Celtics are also still in the running for Lue's services, also offering the vet's minimum to back up Rajon Rondo. The East Vally Tribune reports that at least one other unnamed team is talking to him as well. Lue also took a look at Miami, which has its biennial exception to offer, but he didn't show up for a scheduled physical on Monday. Unlikede Boston and Phoenix, the Heat were offering a starting spot. The Suns are also interested in Shaun Livingston. Livingston remains one of the more intriguing prospects out there. He hasn't played since seriously injuring his knee 17 months ago. Still only 22, he was cleared to resume basketball activities just last month. But he wasn't able to show his progress in the Vegas Summer League and hasn't worked out for teams. After denying the rumors for weeks, the Detroit Free Press is reporting that Tracy McGrady has stated that he wouldn't mind a trade to Detroit. The Pistons are saying that there isn't anything close, but there certainly seems to be a lot of smoke surrounding this rumor and where there is this much smoke, there may soon be some fire. The Pacers signed their two draft picks, Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert. Hibbert, a center from Georgetown, came in the trade that sent Jermaine O'Neal to the Toronto Raptors. Rush, a guard from Kansas, came to Indiana in a trade with with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers officially signed second-round draft picks DeAndre Jordan and Mike Taylor. "I'm excited," said Jordan, who had been projected as lottery pick out of high school, but slipped to the second round of the draft after a tepid freshman season at Texas A&M. "I'm going to take this (slight) and use it as motivation to prove people wrong." Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:51:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291103 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291103 Here's what it will look like, It will be purple and gold with a very SOFT cover. Oh wait sorry, my bad, That's wrong.Here is what it will really look like when Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, James Posey, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, and Leon Powe will gather at TD Banknorth Garden Monday night for a VIP reception and special screening of Warner Home Video’s “2007-2008 NBA Champions: The Boston Celtics DVD.’’ If you really want to make a difference, then wait to buy it on Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. at Borders on 1024 School Street in Boston, so you can all tell James Posey and Eddie House who are promoting it, how bad we want them back.If you can't make that then maybe tell one of his teammates to pass it along to them, Rondo will be promoting the DVD at 11:59 p.m. Monday at the Best Buy on 550 Arsenal Street in Watertown.Or Pierce will promote it Tuesday from 10 p.m.-midnight at the Stop & Shop on 25 Walkers Brook Drive in Reading.Or Perkins and Powe will promote it Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at FYE on 411 Washington Street in Boston. sr_adspace_id = 1330307; sr_adspace_width = 300; sr_adspace_height = 250; sr_adspace_type = "graphic"; sr_ad_new_window = true; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:32:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289864 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289864 My first impressions of the Patrick O'Bryant signing (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3593 Itemid=189) were less than enthusiastic. But since this is the summer of love, and since I can talk myself into anything (Kedrick, you let me down!) here's some reasons why Patrick O'Bryant just might work out. Clifford Ray makes silk from a sow's ear. Al Jefferson always knew how to score, but he couldn't get on the court until he could at least look less-than-lost on defense. Kendrick Perkins was the definition of raw when he was drafted. He made exponential progress under Ray. Leon Powe and Glen Davis are undersized power forwards that thrived (at times) on a Championship squad. Whatever talents O'Bryant has will be honed. Whatever weaknesses he has, will be worked on. Don't worry about his conditioning. Ray will have him running wind sprints from now till opening day if that is what it takes. Like with Perkins, we don't need him to score. We need him to rebound and play defense. I don't know if he can do either of those things, but he's reportedly a good shot blocker, so that's something. Plus he's athletic enough to blitz the pick and roll and sprint back to his spot on... Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:19:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289385 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289385 Marc Spears reports: (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2008/07/celtics_sign_ob.html) The Celtics have signed Warriors free agent center Patrick O'Bryant to a two-year deal, according to NBA sources. The 7-foot-0, 260-pounder was the ninth overall pick out of Bradley in the 2006 NBA Draft by Golden State, but played sparingly in two seasons. The Celtics worked out O'Bryant, who is expected to backup center Kendrick Perkins, a week ago at their training facilty in Waltham. Well, that caught me a little off guard. I was sure we'd go with the Birdman, but it seems like O'Bryant is the choice at backup center. At one point O'Bryant was a lottery pick but that may have been aided by a couple of big games in the NCAA Tourney and that extra hype that big men get around draft day. Bottom line: He was a bust for the Warriors. Consider this Don Nelson quote: (http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php/Patrick_O%27Bryant) I told him if he goes down to the D-League and isn't a dominant player, there should be red flags all over the place, and he should be the first to notice. He's not only not dominating, he's not playing very well. He's a long-term project. I really liked him the first week of training camp, but I assumed there would... Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:34:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289235 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289235 Let's go back a few years to when Al Jefferson struggled coming back from his ankle sprain and everyone was doubting his toughness. He said that he continued to have pain in the ankle, even though the team was saying that it was just a sprain. He played the end of the season in pain and with fans doubting his toughness. After the season, the Celtics issued the official statement that Jefferson had minor arthroscopic surgery for exploratory reasons on his right ankle simply to check it out and be sure there was nothing wrong. Then, a couple of weeks later, Big Al said that they removed bone chips from the ankle. Now, that doesn't seem like minor arthroscopic surgery for exploratory reasons. Once the bone chips were removed, Al's play took a huge leap. The Celtics' definition of ``minor" differs slightly from those found in the dictionary. ``Minor" typically refers to something small in amount, extent, or size, lesser in seriousness or importance. For the Celtics, ``minor" apparently refers to something they don't want drawing a lot of attention or scrutiny. Now fast forward to this summer. Perk injured his shoulder in game 4 of the NBA finals. This is the same shoulder that he injured 3 times previously and had surgery on a couple of summers ago. He came back to play in game 6 as the Celtics clinched the championship. Nothing more was said about it other than that Perk turned down playing for the USA select team because he might require surgery. Then, on July 2, the Celtics announced that their second round pick, Bill Walker, and Perk had both undergone arthroscopic surgery. Walker had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair a small tear in his meniscus and Perk had surgery on his left shoulder to clean it out. Both procedures were described as "minor." There was a very good article in the Plano Star Couriertoday about Perk speaking to kids at a summer basketball camp. In it, Perk says that they stuck three screws in the back of his shoulder to give it some support. Ok, inserting 3 screws in a shoulder doesn't sound any more minor than removing bone chips. Once again, the Celtics PR machine uses "minor" to refer to something they don't want drawing a lot of attention or scrutiny. After they removed the bone chips, Big Al didn't have ankle problems any more. Hopefully this procedure will end Perk's shoulder problems, just as removing the bone chips ended Al's ankle woes. Time will tell. But, it kind of makes you want to think twice when the Celtics describe something as "minor". Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:10:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288504 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288504 The time has come to yet again look at the state of our cap and to answer everything you ever wanted to know about the collective bargaining agreement. Without further adieu, here's our current salary table from now until 2011-2012. Yes, I know it's not terribly helpful right now, but it will be filled in as we fill out our roster. Player 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2011-2012 Kevin Garnett $24,750,000 $16,400,000 $18,800,000 $21,200,000 n/a Paul Pierce $18,077,903 $19,795,712 $21,515,521 n/a n/a Ray Allen $17,388,430 $18,776,860 n/a n/a n/a Kendrick Perkins $4,078,880 $4,250,000 $4,390,208 n/a n/a Brian Scalabrine $3,206,897 $3,413,793 n/a n/a n/a Rajon Rondo $1,646,784 $2,623,326 $3,780,214 n/a n/a Leon Powe $797,581 n/a n/a n/a n/a Glen Davis $711,517 n/a n/a n/a n/a Gabe Pruitt $711,517 $729,005 n/a n/a n/a J.R. Giddens* $797,600 $857,400 $917,200 $1,655,546 $2,483,319 Bill Walker* $442,114 $736,420 n/a n/a n/a James Posey Free Agent n/a n/a n/a n/a Tony Allen Free Agent n/a n/a n/a n/a Eddie House Free Agent n/a n/a n/a n/a Scot Pollard Free Agent n/a n/a n/a n/a Totals: $72,609,223 $67,583,516 $49,403,143 $22,855,546 $2,483,319 Team options are in red and qualifying offers are in green. Salaries shown in orange represent non-guaranteed / partially guaranteed deals, while trade kickers and other owed salary obligations are in purple. Player options are listed in blue. Total salary assumes that all options are picked up. * Salaries for Giddens and Walker are estimated. Giddens' salary amount is based upon 100% of the rookie scale, and Walker's deal is a standard two-year minimum. Of course, the meaty part of this post is the Frequently Asked Questions , where you can learn everything about J.R. Giddens' contract holdup, why we really won't have cap space in 2010-11 even... Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:04:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288029 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288029 There's no denying that one day Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen will no longer be Celtics. They will either retire or play for a different team. We can enjoy the success that these players have brought to Boston, but like the Cousy-Russell-Havlicek era of the 60's ~ 70's, and the Bird-McHale-Parish era of the 80's, this era of Celtics glory will pass too. But if Ainge desires to bypass the years of gloom that follows the glorious heydays, he needs to bring in good players who will carry the torch left by the Big 3. Celtics fans are all too familiar with the pain and heartache of following disastrous Celtics teams--and no one in their right mind wants to endure more of that. Thus, Ainge needs to hit homeruns with the drafts/trades/free agencies and get us the type of players who will keep the winning tradition here in Boston alive. Getting Garnett and Ray Allen cost us most of our future. But Ainge was able to hold onto some young talent who should be solid contributors for many years to come. Namely Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins. Both are starters for this championship team and both held their own against top competition--despite being 24 and 22 years old, respectively. Perkins is turning into a fine defensive player, while Rajon has the potential to be a top 7 PG in this league (once guys like Kidd, Nash, and Miller retire). Rondo will be more aggressive with his own offense in the future, and this will take his PG play to a higher level. Outside of these two, Ainge has brought in other young players who will have the opportunity to make their impact felt--possibly as starters, but most likely as role players off the bench. Leon Powe shows the potential to be a fine low post scorer and steady rebounder as a reserve, and Big Baby has the body and power to battle other team's Hulks. Tony has starter potential, and his two-way game is a valuable asset. But like many other youngsters in the league before him, he may never reach the level of consistency to be a proficient player. And his time may run out after this season (last year of his contract). Its all or nothing for Tony this year. Gabe Pruitt has a solid all around game as a backcourt player (either the 1 or 2). He has a combo guard;s game, and this will allow him to find a niche off the bench. His shooting is ahead of his PG skills, and Ainge and Rivers are hoping he develops this part of his game. In time, Pruitt has a good shot at being a regular in the rotation, albeit a solid, but unspectacular player. Ainge did well to bring in 2 other wing players with solid basketball talent and amazing physical attributes. Bill Walker and JR Giddens are 2 young guys who will be groomed to be the heir apparent at SG in 3-4 years. Walker has a better shot based on talent and abilities, while Giddens is a wildcard because of his defensive abilities and internal motor. Another young player Ainge is giving a shot to is Semih Erden. He's a 7 foot Turkish player who has length and mobility like Pau Gasol. Intriguing prospect who will come over to the NBA next year. Not much is known about him, but based on projectibility and natural physical gifts, he's a guy to keep an eye on. Ainge feels Erden is a first round talent in next year's draft. Our young talent pool was not totally depleted by the trades that brought Garnett and Allen here. On the contrary, we still have a good handful of players who can provide supporting roles. To put it on paper, we have at least 2 starters in place (Perk and Rajon), one guy who could start in the very near future (Tony Allen), 2 young big men who have good roles off the bench (Powe and Baby), a future backcourt player who can fill in at the 1 and 2 (Pruitt), and 3 players whose potential ranges from bench warmers all the way to the starting lineup (Walker, Giddens, Erden). What Ainge has to do now is get lucky with the draft and land a big time talent--like he did in '04 when Al Jefferson was our pick at 15. Big Al had many doubters, but has quieted them by cementing himself as one of the league's top young PF's. Many people did not think they'd see the day Jefferson would become a 20 and 10 guy--but Ainge proved his eye for talent when for the second year in a row, Jefferson did better than 20 and 10. It isn't likely that Ainge can find a big time talent with late round draft picks, so he'll need to either find a way to get into the middle of the round or higher, or else trade for a big time talent. To get a mid round draft pick, or higher, Ainge will most likely have to get it via a trade of one of our star players. This is a big possibility, as Ainge is not afraid to pull the trigger on an unpopular trade. Future franchise players are coming. BJ Mullens and Brandon Jennings could make a big splash in the NCAA's, and guys like Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansborough could solidify any team's starting rotation. Moving an aging star player for an incoming player with star potential sounds very much Ainge-like. Or Ainge can attempt to pry a big time player through free agency--and one of the biggest years of free agency in history is approaching in a couple of years. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh head the draft of '03 (among other big named players) who will be eligible for free agency, and its debatable if these 3 will stay with their current teams. Its speculated that LeBron might be landing with the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets (headed by Jay-Z). Dwayne Wade may want to bolt Miami since the Heat are years away from competing. Toronto is a small market, and it may be time for Chris Bosh to spread his fame in a bigger market. I can't pinpoint which player Ainge may have his cross hairs pointed at, but I'm sure he's looking to take a shot at, at least, one big time player who will reach free agency in a couple of years. Ainge has made his mark as a genius general manager (technically he's the Head of Basketball Operations) in just his 5th year at the helm, but he's not going to end his legacy here. He's going to continue working his magic to bring more titles to Boston. Ainge has proven to be a guy who sticks to his "vision" and keeps one eye looking over the horizon. His moves may shock some and leave others disgusted and confused. Ainge may have had more haters in his early tenure as a GM than he ever had as a player for the Celtics, the Kings, and the Blazers. But don't second guess his moves until he's had a chance to mold the team according to his vision. The process may not be pretty, but the end product has been sweet, to say the least. One of the favorite catch phrases among bloggers the past few years, when referring to Ainge's moves, was "expect the unexpected". I'm thinking the new phrase should be, "expect changes". Its likely that Ainge won't sit still, even after winning the championship. Like last time, just buckle in and go along for the ride. Danny will make it worth your while. We are hearing talks of Maggette being lured here. This could mean the end of Ray Allen's short stay in Green, or it could mean Posey is not coming back. Either way, Ainge is not going to stay put and let things pass him by. He's being proactive with his options. Yes he'd like to keep Posey around for another run at the title, but not at the price and the duration Posey is asking for. Losing Posey is big, and I'd hate to see Posey on the enemy's side. But that's the type of unpopular move Ainge is willing to make to keep his vision intact. Not only is he trying to bring in young talent and star players to Boston, but he's also trying his best to keep us out of the red financially. As for future moves, I'm in favor of making an attempt at Josh Smith. He's the type of two-way player who causes havoc with his length, athleticism, and skills. He and Rudy Gay are at the top of my wish list of young SF's to go after. Rudy Gay may not be available, but word is that Josh Smith is being sought after by a number of teams. If he's available, now is the time to make a splash for the future. Yi Jianlian is a guy Ainge likes, and I'm not sure he'll be in New Jersey's (Brooklyn's) long term plans. He's another SF who could cause havoc with his miss matching abilities. Overall, there are a lot of young star level players who may become available at any given time, and Ainge is going to keep his eyes open for a big catch. He knows that time is limited with the group of players he has now, and is most likely already gearing for the future. One thing with Ainge is you know his teams will never be old and stagnant. They may be young and inexperienced, but always with a bright future in sight. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:13:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287401 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287401 Globe Reports: (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/02/celtics_perkins_rookie_walker_undergo_surgery/) BOSTON—Boston Celtics starting center Kendrick Perkins has undergone surgery on his left shoulder. The Celtics said Perkins had arthroscopic surgery Wednesday at New England Baptist Hospital. Also undergoing surgery was the Celtics' second-round draft pick, Bill Walker, to repair damage to his right knee. The NBA champions said both procedures were successful. Team physician Dr. Brian McKeon led both surgeries. No timetable has been set for Perkins' and Walker's off-season returns to the Celtics. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:50:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285283 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285283 According to the Globe, Kendrick Perkins and rookie Bill Walker both underwent successful arthroscopic surgery today. The Walker surgery was expected and had been announced that it would take place today, but Perk's surgery was kept rather quite other than speculating earlier that he might need surgery. Boston Celtics starting center Kendrick Perkins has undergone surgery on his left shoulder. The Celtics said Perkins had arthroscopic surgery Wednesday at New England Baptist Hospital. Also undergoing surgery was the Celtics' second-round draft pick, Bill Walker, to repair damage to his right knee. The NBA champions said both procedures were successful. Team physician Dr. Brian McKeon led both surgeries. No timetable has been set for Perkins' and Walker's off-season returns to the Celtics. Perkins was nagged by the shoulder late in the season and aggravated the injury in the finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, causing him to miss Game 5 of the series. Hopefully this will repair any damage in Perk's shoulder and allow him to go full force in the new season without worrying about it hurting. Walker had said that he expected to be able to get back to work in 3-4 weeks. Hopefully both will be ready for training camp. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:00:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285173 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285173 Herald James Posey chooses free agency over C’s (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1104305 format=text) Globe Posey is Celtics' top target (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/01/posey_is_celtics_top_target?mode=PF) MetroWest Daily Celtics: Posey opts for free agency (http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x875595547/Celtics-Posey-opts-for-free-agency) CelticsBlog Post draft rumblings and bumblings (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3519 Itemid=189) LOY's Place Looking for a free agent point guard? (http://celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2008/06/looking-for-free-agent-point-guard.html) NBA.com USA Basketball and Nike Announce Five-Part Documentary Series (http://aol.nba.com/news/usab_nike_080626.html) Blake's take on 2008 draft (http://aol.nba.com/features/NBA_Draft_2008_Blake.html) Wolves extend offers to Gomes, Richard, Smith (http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/wolves_extend_offers_to_gomes_080630.html) Red's Army In appreciation of Kendrick Perkins (http://redsarmy.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/in-appreciation-of-kendrick-perkins/) More Links After the Jump Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:01:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284618 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284618 In the Herald, Steve Bulpett reports that Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins will both decline the offer to be on the USA Select team that will scrimmage with the Mens National team to prepare them for the Olympics. It doesn't mention Rondo's reason for turning down the offer, but Perk may be headed for more surgery on his troublesome shoulder. Perkins faces the possibility of more surgery on his left shoulder. The Celtics are comfortable that an earlier procedure on the shoulder met its desired goal. When Perkins injured it again in Game 4 of the Finals against the Lakers, it wasn't a dislocation. Such instances simply tweak the area around the joint and, in this case, forced him to miss one game. But the center may go in for another cut if it's believed it will further improve his shoulder. The article also mentions that they would like to keep Eddie House, but he may choose to look elsewhere due to the drop in minutes he saw during the playoffs. Tyronn Lue and Jason Williams may be possible replacements but they are also hoping that Gabe Pruitt will be ready to contribute this season. The Celtics will also be looking to replace PJ Brown if he decides to retire. Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo are possibilities to fill that slot. No mention has been made of Pollard, so he is probably on the outs. The Celtics will not be fielding a Summer League team this year but will be holding their own rookie and free agent camp next week. Giddens is expected to be there as will other free agent invitees. Walker is facing surgery and so probably won't participate. Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:53:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283580 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283580 With the conclusion of the NBA Finals this June and the 2008 Summer Olympics looming on the horizon, we here at WhatIfSports have had basketball on the brain. We weren't alone in this mindset, however, as internet bloggers over at BrewHoop.com also began to theorize about the great basketball queries of today- namely, who would win between the 2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Team and the 07-08 Boston Celtics Championship squad. This competition was made even more intriguing by our recent calculations which determined the 07-08 Celtics to be the 3rd greatest NBA Championship team of all time. (Article Available on Askmen.com next month.) Being devoted sportsfans ourselves, we decided to once again call on our super computer to create a real life solution for this fantasy problem, and the results were much like you would expect. Using 1,000 separate simulations of a seven-game "NBA Championship"-esque series, we determined the most common result to be a Team USA victory in five games. This outcome occurred 85% of the time, with an average 14 point margin of victory. Our game summaries also revealed that LeBron James (40%) and Kobe Bryant (35%) were the most frequent recipients of Player of the Game honors with superstars Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, and surprisingly Rajon Rondo also being mentioned many times. Click below to see projected boxscores, play-by-play descriptions, and stats for each game in the series. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:10:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283073 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283073 Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Martin and Al Jefferson have been invited to prepare this year's Olympic team during scrimmges and practices in Las Vegas. However, if any players impress in that time, they can be strong canidates for the World Championships in Turkey in 2010 or the Olympics in London 2012. These 4 players are seen as the rising stars of the NBA. Rondo and Perkins were starters on the NBA champion Celtics team, Martin finished 6th in scoring and Jefferson was one of 4 players who averaged 20 PPG 10 RPG. They made a splash on the NBA scene, and maybe, just maybe, they'll make it onto the international scene and win gold for us. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:06:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282599 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282599 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