Boston Celtics: Doomsday Scenario Hurts, but Allen and Rondo Can Make It Work
When the Big Three came together for the Boston Celtics in 2007-08, it was meant to be a quick fix. We knew these guys only had a few more years, and that’s what made the whole thing so romantic and memorable.
But somewhere along the way, it all started feeling less and less temporary. The Big Three became a permanent fixture.
Once Kevin Garnett went down with his season-ending injury, and the absence of James Posey’s offensive and defensive prowess was becoming clearer and clearer, it finally felt like it was time to assemble a new team around Rajon Rondo.
But that never happened. Year after year, the Celtics remained a Big Three team. And each year, Danny Ainge cut more and more role players, which hurt the team drastically.
This team isn’t in a funk, they just don’t have the pieces in place to win. Ainge has warped the team beyond any comprehension. Their roster is a revolving door of washed-up players and insufficient talent. Even the truest fan must scratch their head and wonder what universe Ainge is living in.
Getting rid of James Posey, Kendrick Perkins, Eddie House, Leon Powe and Tony Allen were fatal mistakes. Had the team simply stayed intact, we might not be discussing the doomsday scenario now.
But because Ainge replaced so many of our golden idols with bags of sand, this team is deep in a haze of losing. Losing has aged Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett far more than time has.
Winning is contagious. This team should have two or three titles by now, and I guarantee you that Pierce and Garnett would be running around like teenagers. But Ainge has shortchanged them over and over. For four straight years, they’ve headed into war without the right weapons, without the right armor, without the proper men, without the tools to win.
This team has lost their identity. Are they still a defensive powerhouse? No. Are the Big Three still playing great basketball together? No. Do teams still fear their bench? No. Do they out-muscle teams? No. Do they out-finesse teams? No. Are they fast? No.
These are too many “no’s” to be successful.
The Celtics are relying on Jermaine O’Neal and Avery Bradley for serious production. This is not a recipe for success. This is Danny Ainge’s version of throwing darts at a board, blindfolded.
The time for bickering is over. Enough is enough. The Celtics don’t belong to Danny Ainge or Wyc Grousbeck, the Celtics belong to the fans. It’s up to us to right this ship, because the people in charge of this team have absolutely no idea what they’re doing.
We’ve got Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus. We should keep these guys.
The rest of the house must be rebuilt. Rip it up and start again. The longer we hold on to players for emotional reasons, the longer we’ll have to suffer through the Heat winning championships.
If Joe Montana and Ray Bourque could be traded, then Paul Pierce can be traded. And Garnett can go as well. It won’t affect their contributions to the franchise, and they’ll still have their numbers retired at the Garden.
The longer these owners and managers screw around, the longer we’ll go without a return to glory.
Danny Ainge has been messing with this roster ever since we won the title. He obviously enjoys tinkering with it, and clearly his bosses don’t mind what a terrible job he’s done because they keep letting him tinker. So he might as well tinker us into a brand new team, just as long as he keeps our two best players and keeps Pietrus around.
Rondo and Allen are playing elite basketball. Rondo has another 10 years in the league, and Allen has a few good ones left. We have arguably the best point guard in the league, and the greatest shooter in basketball history. That’s the Big Two. We can build a team around them.
Let’s go get George Hill and Nicolas Batum. Let’s try and maneuver for Danilo Gallinari and David Lee. Jason Terry, Landry Fields and Raymond Felton will be available in the offseason.
Consider trades. The Memphis Grizzlies, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings are loaded with young talent. Yet none of these teams are close to a championship, not even Memphis. They must be searching for something. Perhaps we have what they need, and perhaps they have what we need. Deals could be made.
The idea of trading Pierce is painful, but I would love to know what potential deals are out there. Instead of theorizing in the dark, let’s get some offers out there so we can have a debate with real information. Problem is, nobody’s talking. It’s all hypothetical.
The longer this stays hypothetical, the longer we’ll keep losing.
Celtics fans are sick over the very idea of losing Pierce or Garnett. There’s no Celtics fan on the planet who would enjoy seeing either guy retire in any other color but green. The important thing to remember is that Celtics fans all want the same thing: we want to win.
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NBA Trade Talk: Dwight Howard to Mavericks Trade Scenario
There has been much talk about the future of superstar center Dwight Howard the past two seasons.
Many believe he will opt out of his contract and leave the Orlando Magic this offseason, and the Magic, while wanting him to stay, will not want to lose him for nothing.
Among the teams that are interested in acquiring him are the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, who let a number of key players go in the offseason in order to have the cap space to add a superstar.
Here is a three-team deal landing Howard in Dallas:
Mavericks get: Dwight Howard
Magic get: Brendan Haywood, Shawn Marion, Linas Kleiza, Jerryd Bayless, DAL first-round pick, TOR second-round pick
Raptors get: JJ Redick, Chris Duhon
Why the Mavericks would do it:
Mark Cuban made it clear that he wanted to land a superstar in this upcoming offseason and saw to it that the team would have the necessary cap space for it to happen.
In this trade, the Mavericks receive the best center in the league, who would form an unstoppable frontcourt tandem with forward Dirk Nowitzki.
Howard would provide the Mavericks with an elite post option and a defensive presence that is even more intimidating and effective than Tyson Chandler was last season.
Combining Howard’s power game with Nowitzki’s jump shooting and driving ability as well as the team’s sharpshooting perimeter players would drive opposing teams trying to guard them insane.
The Mavericks would lose Haywood, Marion and a first rounder, but this is a deal that Cuban would make in a heartbeat.
Why the Magic would do it:
The Magic want players that can be building blocks for the franchise should they be forced to trade Howard.
In this trade, they would acquire a strong defensive center in Haywood who played well as a starter in Washington before being traded to Dallas and becoming Chandler’s backup. He is limited on offense but is a big body who can rebound and block shots as well as discourage players from driving into the paint.
Marion is a versatile and athletic wing, who can defend multiple positions and is excellent in transition. He is good at driving and finishing at the hoop and is one of the better defenders in the league.
Bayless and Kleiza are young, talented players that are loaded with potential to become very good NBA players.
Bayless would provide the team with depth behind starter Jameer Nelson and even make him expendable if he plays well.
Kleiza is a solid overall player who can shoot the three and attack the basket as well as being a solid defender who can guard both forward positions because of his size. He could step in immediately and be a key contributor on this team.
Why the Raptors would do it:
JJ Redick has emerged as a solid NBA starter for the Magic.
He is an excellent shooter and a very good all around offensive player as well as being a decent defender. He is a hustler and would help the Raptors in an area of great need: scoring.
He could start alongside DeMar DeRozan and Jose Calderon. And he would help stretch the floor for DeRozan to attack while having a strong shooter on the outside to keep the defense from collapsing into the paint.
His presence would open up the floor for this offense and allow the Raptors’ athletic players to slash into the paint and get easy buckets.
Duhon has mostly been a backup through his career but he has been solid in his role. He plays the position well, setting up the offense and scoring when called upon.
The Raptors are in need of an experienced player who can come off the bench and contribute as well as take a leadership role among the reserves, and Duhon would provide them with that type of player.
This trade would give the Raptors one of the deepest benches in the league and another young player to add to this team.
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Blockbuster Trade Scenario That Brings Dwight Howard and Deron Williams to L.A.
ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine is an awesome tool that helps many sports fans fantasize about crazy NBA trades. Most of these trades will never happen, but a recent trade sent to my Twitter account (@AndreKhatch) by a fellow by the name of Alessandro Baghdasarian actually could gain some steam.
The Los Angeles Lakers need a point guard and the best one available right now is Deron Williams since Chris Paul is locked in with the Los Angeles Clippers and Steve Nash is just too old.
In addition, Dwight Howard has included the Lakers on his wish list, and it only makes sense for the Magic to trade him and get some players back rather than see him walk away in free agency for nothing. If Dwight walks away during free agency, the Magic would all of a sudden become the Cleveland Cavaliers of last year.
So, how will a trade work out to bring Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to L.A.?
Let’s check this out with the help of ESPN’s Trade Machine. Once again, thanks to Alessandro Baghdasarian (@sportscrooks) for the suggestion:
As you can see, it seems like every team benefits from this trade.
The New Jersey Nets acquire Pau Gasol, who is under contract until the summer of 2014. Unlike Deron Williams, who is a free agent this summer, Gasol will be guaranteed to stay for several years, and the Nets will be a thick, physical team with Brook Lopez in the frontcourt, too.
It’ll also make sense for them to get a few draft picks from the Lakers and Orlando Magic so that they will be more viable in the future. They lost plenty of draft picks in the Deron Williams trade, which obviously hasn’t really worked out for the team, as exemplified by their dismal record, so maybe getting some of those first-round picks will be great for the Nets.
For the Orlando Magic, they get rid of Hedo Turkoglu’s ugly contract, acquire a young center they can build the team around and get a solid passer in Luke Walton, who arguably could be a better player if he got more playing team.
Bynum in Orlando is not as flashy as Howard, but at least they won’t collapse like the Cavaliers did last season. He’s pretty much a poor man’s Howard, which can be good enough to get the Magic in the playoffs.
Hollinger’s analysis says that the Magic will lose 11 more games after this trade, but that’s hard to say when Bynum is putting up double figures in points and rebounds with the Lakers. With Orlando, he’ll be the focal point of the offense and probably be able to put up closer to 20 points a game.
They won’t win as many games, but they won’t be the Cavs of 2010-11.
Finally, the Lakers become clear-cut favorites for the NBA title with this trade. They get an elite point guard in Deron Williams, a behemoth in the paint with Dwight Howard and they still have Kobe Bryant, who isn’t ready to hang up his sneakers yet.
They will owe over $17 million in luxury tax but with all the playoff revenue that will be coming in for several years, it’s hard to imagine that the tax would harm the team financially. Plus, ticket prices will most likely increase and the gigantic TV deal that the Lakers have next year kicks in, too. The money is definitely not an issue for this team.
This is a mutually beneficial trade for all teams and will instantly turn the Lakers into a dynasty team that will compete with the Miami Heat for years to come.
Thoughts?
Follow Andre Khatchaturian on Twitter
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NBA Trade Rumors: Best-Case Scenario for Dwight Howard Is Landing with Lob City
The man who seemingly controls the entire 2012 offseason has seen fit to deem one more team worthy of his presence next season.
According to Chris Sheridan, Dwight Howard has added the Los Angeles Clippers to his wish list.
SheridanHoops.com learned exclusively Monday that Howard recently expanded his list of preferred future destinations, adding the Clippers to a list that already included the Nets, the Mavericks and the Lakers.
“He’s been watching them a lot. He’s intrigued by the Clippers,” said the source, who is privy to the trade talks that have taken place between all of the aforementioned teams.
Sheridan’s source also noted that the most likely way Howard would end up with the Clippers would be in a sign-and-trade deal this offseason.
Of all of the possible scenarios for Howard, this is the most attractive. It would all but assure that Chris Paul would sign a contract extension with the Clippers, and the trio of Howard, Paul and Blake Griffin would be ridiculous.
Sure, Howard could pair up on the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant, on the Brooklyn Nets with Deron Williams or even possibly on the Dallas Mavericks with Williams and Dirk Nowitzki.
But none of those options is more attractive than the potential Lob City trio of him, Paul and Griffin.
And there is a deal out there that works both money-wise and makes sense for the Magic—the Clippers send DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe, Mo Williams and a first-round pick (or a package of picks) to Orlando for Howard.
Check out the deal for both Los Angeles and Orlando—it works. Orlando gets back solid young players in Jordan and Bledsoe, an expiring Mo Williams contract after the 2012-13 season and can compete for an NBA title this season without losing Howard for nothing.
Howard, in turn, would get the big market he apparently craves.
But if this ended up being a sign-and-trade this offseason, he would be losing quite a bit of money. Here’s why, from Chris Sheridan, who lays out Howard’s financial scenarios:
-Plays the entire season in Orlando, opts out and ends up elsewhere (either by signing as a free agent or through a sign-and-trade): $80.5 million for 4 years.
-Gets traded in February, opts out, then re-signs with the team that acquired him: $110.8 million for 5 years.
That’s the one rub in this situation for Howard—the deal is most ideal if it happens mid-season, which the Magic might not oblige.
But by not trading him this year, the team will essentially be costing him money and would be risking Howard returning the favor by opting out of his contract and not agreeing to a sign-and-trade, thus leaving the Magic empty-handed.
From a basketball standpoint, it doesn’t get better than this for Howard. From a financial standpoint, it’s the perfect move if it happens during the season.
The plot thickens.
Hit me up on the Twitter—my tweets are FDA approved.
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2011 NBA Mock Draft: Is Jimmer Fredette Best Case Scenario for New York Knicks?
2011 NBA Mock Draft Discusses Perfect Fits for the Knickerbockers
The New York Knicks have two big puzzle pieces in Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire (two and a half if you count Chauncey Billups), but that’s not going to cut it in an Eastern Conference that belongs to the Miami Heat until further notice.
More than anything else, what the Knicks really need to do is find a way to be relevant defensively. However, that’s not really Mike D’Antoni’s style, so I think we can take it for granted that the Knicks will look to add another scorer with the No. 17 pick in the draft.
If we can do that, the question is which player is the best fit for the Knicks.
Well, it just so happens that the New York Post reported on Thursday that the Knicks hosted an array of guards for a pre-draft workout. In attendance were BYU’s Jimmer Fredette, Providence’s Marshon Brooks, Washington State’s Klay Thompson, and Michigan’s Darius Morris. Pittsburgh center Gary McGhee and James Madison forward Denzel Bowles also showed up.
That the Knicks are interested in players like Fredette, Brooks, and Thompson definitely makes sense, as the three of them are among the best scorers in this year’s draft class. Each of them would also fill the Knicks need for a capable two guard.
MUST READ: Will PGs Rule the Day or Will the Draft Be a Bust?
Afterwards, Fredette told reporters that he thinks he would “fit in very well” with the Knicks. If the Knicks are looking for a shooter, he would be a great find.
If the Knicks are looking for something more than a shooter, however, they should probably consider taking Brooks or Thompson over Fredette. Both of them have the size and athleticism that you look for in a pro two guard, and they both have great scoring instincts.
Personally, I like Thompson as a good fit for the Knicks. He’s just as good a shooter as Fredette, and he would be deadly as a kick-out option when Stoudemire and/or Anthony get double-teamed.
Much like Fredette and Brooks, there’s a chance Thompson will be a lottery pick. If he does fall to the Knicks, methinks they won’t hesitate to draft him.
-Zachary D. Rymer
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Good news, bad news scenario for Pistons
Sources: Pistons, John Kuester to split
Detroit Pistons head coach John Kuester will not be returning for the 2011-12 season, according to sources. Although there has been no official word from the Pistons, sources say it is expected that president Joe Dumars and his staff will be returning.
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The Good News
After 2 very disappointing seasons at the helm in Detroit, it now seems likely that John Kuester will not be the Pistons’ head coach going forward.
The Bad News
Mike Woodson is not the type of elite level basketball coach who the Pistons are in need of finding, in order to [eventually] reclaim their former spot in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
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PS. Hopefully, Joe Dumars [GM] will show better judgment tha…
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NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony’s Best Trade Scenario, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant
The NBA just passed the mid-point of their season, with most teams having played 41 of their 82 games at this stage of the year. So, it’s time to assess, a la the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson, the state of the biggest rumors flying around the league here at mid-season.
We’ll start with some of the top rumors, the ones that dominate the headlines around all the sports websites.
The hype and attention borders insanity, with Carmelo Anthony leading the pack but Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and an assortment of other players coming up close behind.
So, who will be traded, when and where?
And, have you been on that merry-go-round? Have you been caught up in those rumors, waiting by your computer to see when the trade unfolds?
Well, step off for a moment because I have some new perspective for you to think about. We’ll hit the trade rumors in a second.
The other big talk is the impeding demise of the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant. You know the recent storyline: He’s lost it, his knee is shot, he’s old. The Lakers won’t repeat. Pick your poison.
Whether you are a Lakers lover or hater, counting out the defending champs this early might not be wise. We’re talking January. I’ll say it again. We’re in January, just passed the mid-point in games mark. Do you really think anything going on with the Lakers matters right now?
If you do, you’re being fooled.
So, here are my take on the biggest rumors floating around in the NBA mid-season.
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NBA Trade Rumors: Best-Case Trade Scenario for Each Team
There are roughly 48 more days until the NBA trade deadline. This means there’s a lot of time for teams to think of a plan of attack, and by then, teams will know whether they’re ready to make a playoff run—or go into rebuilding mode.
Whether a team is trying to re-establish their identity, or whether a team feels like they need that one key player to win an NBA championship, the trade rumor wire will continue to spark as the deadline approaches.
What trades are the best-case scenarios for each of the 30 NBA teams for this season and, hopefully, for the next few seasons?
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NBA Rumors: George Karl Talks Carmelo Anthony and the Kobe Bryant Scenario
Denver Nuggets head coach, shared his thoughts on the Carmelo Anthony saga with Hoopsworld reporter Eric Pincus, before the Nuggets played the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, October 15.
“I don’t think that [staying] is off the table,” Karl told Pincus. “The Kobe [Bryant] scenario is what I used. I said Kobe, four years ago, said he wanted out. I know [the Los Angeles Lakers] made phone calls.”
With Kobe Bryant, seemingly unhappy in Los Angeles a few seasons ago—he nearly forced his way out of the Lakers and into a Chicago Bulls jersey. But it’s obvious that sinking ship was righted, that same season with the acquisition of Pau Gasol.
At least George Carl still feels that his star player, isn’t entirely sold on leaving in the offseason as a free agent.
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Each NBA Team’s Best and Worst Case Scenario for the 2010-11 Season
The 2010-11 NBA season promises to be quite predictable—if you believe the sports book in Vegas, that is.
Miami is listed as the odds on favorite to win the title at +175 and the Lakers aren’t far behind at +300.
Other than those two, no other team has better 10-to-1 odds to walk home with the Larry O’Brien trophy.
So can’t we just pretty much pencil in Miami and Los Angeles in the Finals and call it a day? Well, odds are (pun intended)…yes, we can.
But things don’t always unfold the way we think the should.
Injuries happen (see: Kevin Garnett and Manu Ginobili in 2008, Isiah Thomas in 1988…hell, even Bill Russell in 1958); Midseason trades swing conferences that are up for grabs (like Rasheed Wallace with the Pistons in 2004), or lineups that are great on papers just don’t mesh well together (something along the lines of the 2003-04 Lakers with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone).
Obviously, any of these factors could apply to this year’s campaign—maybe Andrew Bynum just can’t stay healthy and Pau Gasol goes down a few weeks before the playoffs and isn’t 100 percent in the postseason.
Maybe the Bulls somehow swing a deal for Carmelo Anthony while hanging onto Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.
Or maybe, in a half-court game, the Heat just can’t generate enough offense to consistently score against teams with a significant interior presence, such as Boston, Orlando, or Los Angeles (not to say it will happen…just that it could happen).
So perhaps Miami and L.A. are destined to meet in the Finals, but the margin of error is small enough that if something disastrous happens, it opens the door for a handful of other teams.
Let’s take a look at how each team would fare in a perfect world where all their stars properly aligned and how it would turn out if all hell broke loose.
Starting in alphabetical order.
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