I am admitted not a big NBA fan, but I'll throw in my 2 cents.
You got 3 guys that can score and no one to pass the ball. You got 2 guys that play basically no defense in a league that has produced defense minded champions what 9 of the last 10 years. You got Allen who missed 27 games last year, and coming off surgury on both ankles. Plus he's 32 years old. You got 31 year old KG. and you got 30 year old Pierce that missed 35 games last year. Let me ask who is planning on guarding Billups, Lebron, or D wade. Boston is at best a 5 seed, behind Det, Clev, Mia, and Chi.
You got 3 guys that can score and no one to pass the ball. You got 2 guys that play basically no defense in a league that has produced defense minded champions what 9 of the last 10 years. You got Allen who missed 27 games last year, and coming off surgury on both ankles. Plus he's 32 years old. You got 31 year old KG. and you got 30 year old Pierce that missed 35 games last year. Let me ask who is planning on guarding Billups, Lebron, or D wade. Boston is at best a 5 seed, behind Det, Clev, Mia, and Chi.
Wrong.
The formula has been around since the Bulls: You can win with 2-3 great players with the rest garbarge. I know, Jim Paxson and Ron Harper were great in some peoples eyes, but lets be real. Kobe and shaq played with basically garbage. Miami has absolute trash behind Wade and Shaq. The big difference is those teams had great coaches, the celts have doc rivers, which will distinguish them somewhat from this group.
Now Boston will join the elite with the perhaps the third or fourth best 1,2,3 punch in the league (Spurs, Pistons, Phoenix?). I see them falling only to Chicago or perhaps a real healthy Miami team. Pistons are done, Flip cant do it, he plays scurred.
The formula has been around since the Bulls: You can win with 2-3 great players with the rest garbarge. I know, Jim Paxson and Ron Harper were great in some peoples eyes, but lets be real. Kobe and shaq played with basically garbage. Miami has absolute trash behind Wade and Shaq. The big difference is those teams had great coaches, the celts have doc rivers, which will distinguish them somewhat from this group.
Now Boston will join the elite with the perhaps the third or fourth best 1,2,3 punch in the league (Spurs, Pistons, Phoenix?). I see them falling only to Chicago or perhaps a real healthy Miami team. Pistons are done, Flip cant do it, he plays scurred.
The big problem is: he doesn't look to shoot.
I actually think he has the ability to shoot well...but he rarely looks for his shot...can't really get into a rhythm. Ever since HS, he was breaking assist records at Oak Hill...and never looked to be the 'scorer' when asked to be at Kentucky.
This was a MAJOR problem w/ the Celtics being "young." Now, its not a huge problem...still would like to see him shoot more, but its not a "huge" concern as it once was.
I actually think he has the ability to shoot well...but he rarely looks for his shot...can't really get into a rhythm. Ever since HS, he was breaking assist records at Oak Hill...and never looked to be the 'scorer' when asked to be at Kentucky.
This was a MAJOR problem w/ the Celtics being "young." Now, its not a huge problem...still would like to see him shoot more, but its not a "huge" concern as it once was.
Didn't Houston try this about 10 years ago when they brought in past their prime guys, Charles Barkley and Scootie pippen to go with Hakkem. How'd that work out for them, a first round exit from the playoffs. And those guys played defense.
Plus doesn't KG still have the chance to option out of his contract after this year. I'm not sure maybe that got changed with the trade. But if he can then Boston might have exactly 1 year to win before KG leaves for Kobe.
Not to mention that Boston will be back in the same horrible position they were in in a matter of 3 years when these guys are done. They traded away all their young talent and their draft picks. This was a deal made by a Coach and a GM that are scared for their jobs (which they should be) and are trying to save them by killing their future for a couple years of relivence.
Plus doesn't KG still have the chance to option out of his contract after this year. I'm not sure maybe that got changed with the trade. But if he can then Boston might have exactly 1 year to win before KG leaves for Kobe.
Not to mention that Boston will be back in the same horrible position they were in in a matter of 3 years when these guys are done. They traded away all their young talent and their draft picks. This was a deal made by a Coach and a GM that are scared for their jobs (which they should be) and are trying to save them by killing their future for a couple years of relivence.
KG is a Sox Fan! Woot!
Sox Fan Garnett Enjoys Fenway Fun
By Peter F. Stringer
Celtcs.com
August 2, 2007
FENWAY PARK - Danny Ainge wasn't kidding about the Red Sox hat collection. Kevin Garnett really has one, and he's really a passionate Red Sox fan. So he was pretty thrilled to get a chance to hang out with David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp and the boys Wednesday night before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park.
Kevin Garnett and David Ortiz know each
other from their days in Minnesota, and now
they're two of Boston's biggest stars.
Keith Sliney / Boston Celtics
After warnings from Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and scores of others in the Celtics organization not to bounce his throw, you'd think he would have been nervous taking the hill to a standing ovation before the Sox-Orioles game.
Truthfully, his windup and lob delivery was nothing Tom Emansky would film for an instructional video, but Garnett managed to get the delivery to his old friend from Minnesota, David Ortiz, without hitting the ground. The effort earned a nice ovation and a bearhug from Papi. After the brief ceremony, Garnett disappeared into the Red Sox dugout, down a few hallways, ducking under random pipes in the bowels of a ballpark that was never intended to house seven footers, and squeezed into an elevator to head for a private suite.
"Man, I need to get some ice," Garnett joked, rubbing his right shoulder down in the elevator. "I wasn't nervous, or afraid, just anxious."
Clad in his new Red Sox #5 jersey, Garnett was glued to the game, taking only brief interruptions to meet Larry Lucchino and Carlton Fisk, who stopped by the box to say hello. Lucchino asked Garnett if he really was a Sox fan, and Garnett guaranteed him that he wouldn't be caught dead wearing any Yankees paraphernalia. And while Garnett talked about his Red Sox hat collection, he was excited to see with what Lucchino might be able to hook him up.
"You've probably got some stuff I've never even seen before," Garnett said.
Later, when Fisk stopped by, Pudge gave Garnett a quick history lesson on the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry days of yore, and also gave him a quick Boston accent lesson, teaching him the proper way to pronounce "chow-dah." Minutes later, the Red Sox sent enough for the whole suite.
After Fisk departed, Garnett was back into the game, warning fans in the adjacent box to look out for foul balls. He played the role of extremely animated fan who often had his arms up in the air; he shouted words of encouragement out the window to Ortiz from above. "Take that thing over the wall, David!"
When Ortiz's RBI double off the Monster gave the Red Sox the lead in their seventh inning rally, Garnett sprang out of his chair, "That's what's I'm talking about, Papi!"
KG couldn't stay for the entire game, but was told that he couldn't leave until he'd experienced the eighth inning Sweet Caroline sing-a-long. He hasn't quite mastered all of the lyrics, but apparently the song stuck with him; Garnett was whistling the tune on his way to the elevator as he made his way out of the ballpark.
"I've just got to learn the hook," Garnett said in the elevator before breaking into song. "Touching me, touch-ing you..."
Just one day in town, he's already touched Boston and Boston has touched him. After a sampling of chowder, a meet and greet and Boston accent lesson with Pudge and a night in the private suite, Garnett's already learning how to fit in here in Boston. And the electric standing 'O' during his Fenway introduction said it all. The KG love affair is already on.
Good times never seemed so good.
Sox Fan Garnett Enjoys Fenway Fun
By Peter F. Stringer
Celtcs.com
August 2, 2007
FENWAY PARK - Danny Ainge wasn't kidding about the Red Sox hat collection. Kevin Garnett really has one, and he's really a passionate Red Sox fan. So he was pretty thrilled to get a chance to hang out with David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp and the boys Wednesday night before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park.
Kevin Garnett and David Ortiz know each
other from their days in Minnesota, and now
they're two of Boston's biggest stars.
Keith Sliney / Boston Celtics
After warnings from Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and scores of others in the Celtics organization not to bounce his throw, you'd think he would have been nervous taking the hill to a standing ovation before the Sox-Orioles game.
Truthfully, his windup and lob delivery was nothing Tom Emansky would film for an instructional video, but Garnett managed to get the delivery to his old friend from Minnesota, David Ortiz, without hitting the ground. The effort earned a nice ovation and a bearhug from Papi. After the brief ceremony, Garnett disappeared into the Red Sox dugout, down a few hallways, ducking under random pipes in the bowels of a ballpark that was never intended to house seven footers, and squeezed into an elevator to head for a private suite.
"Man, I need to get some ice," Garnett joked, rubbing his right shoulder down in the elevator. "I wasn't nervous, or afraid, just anxious."
Clad in his new Red Sox #5 jersey, Garnett was glued to the game, taking only brief interruptions to meet Larry Lucchino and Carlton Fisk, who stopped by the box to say hello. Lucchino asked Garnett if he really was a Sox fan, and Garnett guaranteed him that he wouldn't be caught dead wearing any Yankees paraphernalia. And while Garnett talked about his Red Sox hat collection, he was excited to see with what Lucchino might be able to hook him up.
"You've probably got some stuff I've never even seen before," Garnett said.
Later, when Fisk stopped by, Pudge gave Garnett a quick history lesson on the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry days of yore, and also gave him a quick Boston accent lesson, teaching him the proper way to pronounce "chow-dah." Minutes later, the Red Sox sent enough for the whole suite.
After Fisk departed, Garnett was back into the game, warning fans in the adjacent box to look out for foul balls. He played the role of extremely animated fan who often had his arms up in the air; he shouted words of encouragement out the window to Ortiz from above. "Take that thing over the wall, David!"
When Ortiz's RBI double off the Monster gave the Red Sox the lead in their seventh inning rally, Garnett sprang out of his chair, "That's what's I'm talking about, Papi!"
KG couldn't stay for the entire game, but was told that he couldn't leave until he'd experienced the eighth inning Sweet Caroline sing-a-long. He hasn't quite mastered all of the lyrics, but apparently the song stuck with him; Garnett was whistling the tune on his way to the elevator as he made his way out of the ballpark.
"I've just got to learn the hook," Garnett said in the elevator before breaking into song. "Touching me, touch-ing you..."
Just one day in town, he's already touched Boston and Boston has touched him. After a sampling of chowder, a meet and greet and Boston accent lesson with Pudge and a night in the private suite, Garnett's already learning how to fit in here in Boston. And the electric standing 'O' during his Fenway introduction said it all. The KG love affair is already on.
Good times never seemed so good.
Just because one team tried it with players X, Y and Z, doesn't mean another team can't succeed wiwth players A, B and C.
As for the contract, the Celtics signed him to an extension.
Lastly, what do you mean "back in the same horrible position?" If they were in a horrible position, isn't it a good thing that they're now one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference? Although I don't know how good or bad they'll be this season, it seems a lot of people go out of their way to talk about what a terrible trade it was when most people agree it was a fairly good trade. I don't know . . . at very least I think it's a great thing for the NBA.
