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Last tallied on 09/01.
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Where will Austin Rivers take his talents to?
ESPN Recruiting/ ESPNU 100 has Austin Rivers moving up to the No.1 spot for the class of 2011 after a solid summer of AAU ball. He's still undecided as to where he wants to play. All in favor of a one hour tv special with the announcement?
Danny Ainge Does it Again
by Greg Payne on Sep 3, 2010 10:53 AM EDT
in Articles
30 comments
The offseason is a time of transition, when recollections of the most recent season eventually morph into thoughts of expectations and curiosity for the next one to come, which, in reality, is only a few months away. As a Celtics fan, neither thought process was very appealing - not initially, at least. In the rear view mirror stood the Los Angeles Lakers, holding the championship hardware we were so close to obtaining for ourselves. And ahead, on the horizon, loomed a very important, yet very cloudy, offseason, which gave us no guarantees that the club we saw make it to the NBA Finals would be the one we'd see take the court again in October.
Rather than spending the first few weeks of the offseason basking in the glory of his team's second championship in the last three years, Danny Ainge probably spent them contemplating the immediate future of his ball club. His head coach, Doc Rivers, was on the verge of leaving the club to spend time with his family, while two of his star players - Paul Pierce and Ray Allen - weren't guaranteed to return, along with a slew of other free agent role players.
Only five players were guaranteed returners at the end of the season (barring some sort of trade), but one was facing major offseason knee surgery and would miss the majority of the following year (Kendrick Perkins), while another was contemplating, and eventually went forward with, retirement (Rasheed Wallace). Meanwhile, the three contracts of the other returners - Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Glen Davis - tallied over half the total of next season's salary cap, which solidified the fact that the Celtics would have virtually no cap space, and therefore would not be players in a sterling free agent market.
30 comments | 1 recs |
Daily Links 9/3
by FLCeltsFan on Sep 3, 2010 9:56 AM EDT
in News/Links
2 comments
Herald U.S. does just enough against Tunisia
Lamar Odom hoping to stock up on championships
Globe Globe 10.0 - Will Delonte West Help the Celtics?
CelticsBlog Danny Ainge Does it Again
CelticsLife Takin' Back What Is Rightfully Ours
Celtics Trivia #5
Jim Rome jabs back at Shaq
The Erden Watch
Today's Video: Unstoppable Rondo Mix
Red's Army Perk on the road to recovery
Celtics "Scared To Death" Of Miami
Your Morning Dump... Where shirtless Erden did OK
NBA Blog Previews Schedule
The schedule has been set for the NBA Blog Previews. We kick things off with the Celtics on Sept. 13th. As usual, the Celtics are well represented in the blog-o-sphere.
Erden Comes Up Big Against China
Semih Erden scores 18 points and grabs 12 rebounds in a rout over China (87 - 40).
Daily Links 9/2
by FLCeltsFan on Sep 2, 2010 12:23 PM EDT
in News/Links
2 comments
Herald Celtics bring back Delonte West
U.S. nets politically correct result
Spain beats Canada 89-67 at basketball worlds
Australia clinches 3rd place in basketball pool
Globe Delonte West returns to Celtics
Dunkin' Delonte
West returns to the Celtics
CelticsBlog Report: Delonte's Back
What Delonte's Return Means
CelticsLife SQ #32--Delonte, Really?
I Miss the Celtics
Smoke Turns to Fire: Celtics Signing West
The Erden Watch
Random Thoughts on Some Wednesday Happenings
Doc "cautious" about the team chemistry this year.
Doc Rivers: "Chemistry is a delicate thing. I understand that, and I'm as cautious as anyone with it. I guarantee you, I'll be keeping my eye on it. ... I don't know yet if we can make it work. It is going to be interesting, that's for sure."
What Delonte's Return Means
by Jeff Clark on Sep 1, 2010 6:14 PM EDT
in Articles
104 comments
The prodigal son has returned! Delonte West was one of the most beloved Celtics in the pre-Big 3 era. He was an excellent shooter with high basketball IQ that played with reckless abandon that you can't help but appreciate. Of course he was also inconsistent and frequently injured because of that reckless abandon. Oh yeah, and it didn't hurt that he was perhaps the most quotable Celtic since Kevin McHale.
He became a trade chip that helped us land Ray Allen and was later shipped to the Cleveland LeBrons, and thus became the enemy. But it never felt right rooting against him. When they won, the silver lining was that Delonte (and later Leon Powe) would benefit from it.
Of course the problem is that Delonte also has had his share of issues. From problems with the law to emotional disorders to rumors about his private life. For the most part, I couldn't help but watch from afar and shake my head and say a little prayer for him. My impression of him is that he never meant anyone any harm (though loaded guns seem to imply the opposite) but he clearly needed help.
He managed to get things together long enough to contribute to the Cavs last year, but with LeBron taking his talents to South Beach, Delonte became expendable cap fodder.
So he returns to Boston with his share of baggage and a non-guaranteed contract. Which follows suit with Danny Ainge's summer of reloading with contracts that maintain future flexibility. On talent alone, he's worth much more than a minimum non-guaranteed contract, so as long as he can hold it together and focus on basketball, he's a bargain and a half. If not, then the team can simply cut bait and wish him well.
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Most Commented
What Delonte's Return Means
by Jeff Clark 1 day ago
104 comments
Report: Delonte's Back
by Roy_Hobbs 2 days ago
88 comments
Delonte Rumor (via Red's Army)
by Jeff Clark 2 days ago
67 comments
Semih Erden Watch
by Jeff Clark 4 days ago
44 comments
Danny Ainge Does it Again
by Greg Payne about 6 hours ago
30 comments | 1 recs