Telfair Done In Boston

so long, we hardly knew you. doc mismanaged him. he has some talent. i know why danny went after him, but… he is small and roly poly, tho a bit improved, not good on d which is bad for his size. i never liked his attitude. he always seemed tenuous when he had the ball, as if he was not sure what to do. bad for a point guard.

Bye Bye!! To those who thought he was the guy who should be starting. What does this say about his maturity and decision making?

Danny now has an excuse as to why his trade of 7 pick last season did not work out. The fact is, it was a terrible trade the moment it was made. Terrible. We could have Rudy Gay on our roster right now (who is destined to be a much better player than Gerald Green), or Brandon Roy, the rookie of the year. I went from a staunch defender of Ainge to a big skeptic the night of the 2006 draft. He lost alot of credibility with me. Everything we saw of Telfair on the court and off this past 12 months was nothing new. Don’t try using this as an excuse, Danny.

Living in Charlottesville, VA can bias you but it’s confirmed that Sean Singletary will come out early to join J.R. Reynolds (a graduating 4th year) in the draft. Both are predicted for late first or early second round. Both are proven scorers who can hit long range shots. Reynolds is very much like Delonte West and Singletary is possibly underrated by most everyone. Both guards carried ths coring burden for the best Virginia team in years and, when healthy, neither could be stopped by good ACC competition. Both are quick and good defenders. Singeltary is a gifted passer with deflated assist numbers because, except for Reynolds, there was nobody he could pass to who could score reliably. With more finishes, he could have averaged a double in assists. If either (or both) are available to the Celtics at the beginning of the second round, the Celtics will more than replace the disaster of Telfair. If Ainge likes Singletary as much as I do (or another point guard), I won’t be surprised to see him pull off a Rondo type deal to position himself later in the first round to get his man.

2nd round pick = Chris Richard, Florida

You might consider this off topic, but does anyone remember the days when it seemed like the Patriots had an arrest every other week? Situation after situation. I’m not sure how they’ve done it, but the Krafts have totally taken care of that. They have so many more players than a basketball team, and many of them come from similarly tough backgrounds.

Danny basically got nothing officially wth the 7th pick last year unless he could pull something out of Theo’s contract.

I do think Telfair has talent, but he hasn’t been able to prove it in the NBA. He’s one of hundreds of kids that could have gained something from a couple of years of college coaching.

Danny has made a few bad decisions for sure…bringing O’B&Walker back..and Telfair was another huge one..last draft Danny rolled the dice on 2 trades,wiffed on Bassy but got his LONGTERM guy in Rondo=great summer…this year he gets his BIG to go with PP&AL and if that guy is better thasn those 2 we win huge

bulpett sources (johnny joe?) usually pretty good…

its funny recalling all the PG experts here promoting “bassy” back in november….

the kid just doesnt get it…he doesnt understand whats expected of an NBA PG - and he doesnt understand how a professional athlete should conduct himself.

danny f’d up on that trade and most of it said so at the time. no one bats 1000 in trades but danny has made some loser deals and this will go down as the one of the worst if not the worst deals the celtics ever made. I dunno what ainge was thinking when he traded for an immature, undersized pg who had already had trouble with the law. Man what a waste of a pick. the ONLY way this deal is salvaged IMO is if we get 1 or 2 this year. anything short of that is unacceptable considering what we gave up for telfair. trade him to the knicks

This trade now becomes Vin Bakeresque in the history of Celtic dealings. At least we won’t be subjected to those nauseating Sebastian Telfair night at the Gah-den commercials anymore, that alone is worth it. I fear that Bassy may end up like so many others: had it all at one time, only to be washed up and broke at an early age. I hope for is sake he has an epiphany, he looks like he may be European bound.

I don’t understand why this trade was bad. We shed Raef’s salary for a shorter contract. That shorter contract can (and will) be traded within the next 10 months. After that trade is complete you can fairly assess the transaction that brought Telfair to boston.

In the Shira Springer article and other writer’s comments, I’m concerned to hear that the only “untouchables” on the Celtic’s roster are Jefferson and Pierce. While I understand that EVERYONE can be had for the “right price”, Rondo appears to be a very “special” player…more so than Gerald Green, IMO. Whereas Gerald lacks a basketball IQ, Rondo has it in abundance. “Knowledge is Power”! Both have comparable athleticism, Rondo knows how to use his!

Whereas we’ve all been wondering whether Rondo has the ability to develop a “shooting touch”, I thought that his run of 23/25 foul shots proved that he could become an excellent shooter.

Regardless of what the Celtics do with possible picks 3, 4, or 5…look for them to move heaven and earth (West, Gomes Powe, Green, even Wally) to obtain another 1st round pick as long as AL THORNTON is still available. As reported, Danny is paticularly interested in this 6’8" Florida State player who could be this year’s version of JOSH HOWARD.

Moskqq—I was concerned about that too, until I saw that she was basing it upon Danny saying, when specifically asked about his young players, that he was always open to hearing trades for his young guys. Wouldn’t happen, but if Oden and Gasol were offered for Al or Paul, he’d listen to that too. I think the organization values RR higher than she’s crediting them for.

DA should follow Telfair out the door. I’m sorry, but when a GM makes a trade as bad as this one (this is close to Dirk for Tractor traylor territory), I don’t trust him to make others. DA has done a good job drafting but his trades have either been lateral moves or just god awful.

I think this just gives them an excuse to show him the door. Bottom line is he can’t play. Too bad it cost a #7 pick to find out……nice job of talent evaluation by Danny and the scouting department…..

I agree this one’s down there with Vin Baker in the realm of awful trades this franchise has made…..

moskqq, Chad Ford on Friday said that he thought Jefferson and Rondo were Danny’s two untouchables, so there are certainly some who feel as you do.

I don’t think anyone can defend the trade anymore. Trading the likely ROY, even if he may not be a superstar, just for the purposes of money is a pretty weak move. I understand a team may not be able to afford paying the luxury tax, but if that’s the case they should have budgeted their money better in the past. Then maybe the fans wouldn’t have to sit through a 33 win season and see the draft pick dealt away for a third-string PG and one year of $$$.

Also, isn’t it sad that Telfair has no trade value? If he did, the Celts would not leak out that they were going to let him go. Pathetic…

This is a great example of why character on and off the court is sooo important. I dont dislike Telfair, but can anyone really say they are surprised at this given his history?

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, It probably is …. 8)

I wonder if Telfair was truly the central piece of the trade. While we did have a need at PG that possibly Telfair might have filled, we had a real need for an inside defender in Ratliff in contrast to slow-footed LaFrentz. The added bonus of saving around 12 million in salary seemed like a bonus.

While the particulars of the trade can be criticised, I wonder if Ainge underestimated Roy’s skill level and future potential or if he thought the risk justified as long as Ratliff and Telfair met expectations?

As an addendum, since neither Telfair nor Ratliff performed as hoped, it’s fair to say that trading the 7th pick was all about saving money.

What remains to be seen is whether Ratliff’s part of the trade shows dividens THIS year in either productive court time or as part of a future trade. Only then can the wisdom of the trade be fairly judged. Note that LaFrentz was not a productive player this year and it’s comforting to know that his lingering salary is off our books.

Although there are about the same amount of decent players picked at #7 in the last 15-20 years, here are some names of the “not so decent”… Alvin Robertson, Tim Perry, George McCloud, Lionel Simmons, Walt Williams, Lorenzen Wright, Chris Mihm… Maybe we should just look at it like there was a 50-50 chance of not having a very good player there anyway. I think Telfair fits right in there with most of these but was a better chance than some of them. If the saved money means we have the flexibility to hold onto one of our current guys under the cap then fine. Rondo turned out to be the guy we are going to have guide us anyway. Not that big of a loss… Even the great GM’s are wrong a bunch of times. Look at Jerry West’s situation. He would have to be looked at as one of the greats. Maybe luck is a bigger part of it than we are willing to admit.

Just to play Devil’s Advocate for a moment:

How many of you have had a handgun in your car ‘just in case’, and never fired it or waved it around? (I have)

How many of you have ever had a expired license, particularly easier if you are a resident of one state and working/residing temporarily in another? (I haven’t but if I wan’t married and wife reminded me, it would have been possible I suppose).

How many of you have speeded through (presumeably) deserted streets in the wee small hours? (I have).

Note: There were NO drug charges, no charge of intoxication, no contempt or problems with the arresting officer.

Again, I’m just playing DAdvocate, but what did he REALLY do bad, other then use poor judgement and how many of you at 21 didn’t show bad judgement at one time? (I did. Rolled a car at age 17).

Oh, and as far as his playing ability? Agree with you, it wasn’t good but then he’s playing the toughest position in basketball to adjust to. Perhaps , just perhaps , he will turn out fine as a PG.

Ainge damn well better make good on Theo’s contract. All of this nonsense when we could’ve had Brandon Roy.

Im sorry, but I cant understand why so many basketball stars (lets call Telfair a star once) are involved in legal problems related to guns. Do they love to be part of the environment where a gun is needed? In that case, I think they are not prepared at all to earn millions.

If this incident really means the end of Telfair’s career in Boston, maybe someone will find a way to sneak an unregistered handgun (unloaded of course) into Doc Rivers’ car and then tip off the police.

Frank- LOL!! You’re the best! It always comes back to Doc for you. :) Something to think about regarding Ratliff. If we traded for him with the idea that his salary coming off the books helps us with keeping our youngsters why would we be trading him now for future salary? In 08-09, we will have Wally, Pierce and Al at approx. 42 million in salary. Is ownership going to want to pay another “veteran all star” 10 million on top of that? Maybe, since it might be just for the one year, but it’s possible Ratliff stays here next year.

I would think Danny might want to try to trade Wally first tied to the pick (if it doesn’t fall the way they want)to try a different vet plus remove Wally’s salary earlier. Maybe it’s not that big a deal for them anymore.

The incident isn’t minor. They don’t want him back because of his play – and Doc doesn’t like his style anyway. When they made the trade I couldn’t quite figure out why they got another Marcus Banks type.

But now I have figured it out. It was ALL ABOUT the cost savings. It was basically a lottery pick to take Raef’s contract and get Theo’s insurance savings.

Telfair was a smokescreen so we would yell about what a “bust” he is instead of focusing on the incredible cheapness of the owners.

Pete

Whoops meant to say the incident IS minor. Sorry.

this isn’t the last we’ll see of Telfair on the basketball court. He’s still 21 with a lot of potential. It’s going to take him some more time, but he’ll develop into a legit point guard in this league.

No, Telfair will go to Europe. Maybe in 5 years he comes back as a decent player, maybe not.

Does Danny have COMPLETE control regarding trades or is he the “fall-guy” when unpopular (and unsuccessful) trades are made? The owners have been labeled as “cheap” because INSURANCE pays Ratliff’s contract and because neither Telfair nor Ratliff contributed meaningfully, the resulting perception is that the trade was all about money. But was it?

It’s been often mentioned that Danny never wanted to sign Mark Blount to an extended contract either. Is there an element of truth here too?

It seems apparent that Danny has final “say” on draft selections and that aspect of his job has gone surprisingly well by comparison. In his recent interview, Danny said that all trade/draft moves are made by committee but that he has the FINAL “say”. It is therefore possible that “committee” reviewed the Telfair/Ratliff/7th pick trade proposal and prevailed by committee (despite Danny having “final” say, it’s hard to defy a united ownership).

When Danny says that there are alot of factors “behind the scenes”, it makes one wonder if managers typically have autonomy.

By logical extension, do announcers and color commentators have complete autonomy over the content of their remarks? As popular as Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn are do you think they would have lasted this long had they not been LOYAL to ownership, Red Auerbach, coaching staff and even players? Bob Cousy wasn’t popular with owners because he was too truthful in his critique of players, coaching methods etc instead of taking a more “politically correct” approach.

My purpose in raising these issues is to alert bloggers that there is another game of strategy running parallel to day to day opperations with a somewhat different agenda and a somewhat different list of priorities.

Professional basketball may be perceived as primarily a SPORT but it’s also a BUSINESS with all its ugly trappings. Some “deals” may make little basketball sense but rather represent shrewd fiscal responsibility.

I love how this is Danny’s fault.

Telfair has talent, we saw that in the first few weeks of this season. He has ability. Apparently, he has the psyche of an infant though. He became mentally incapable of playing the point position and handling his role once it was reduced, but that isnt the GMs fault. Also, it isnt the GMs fault that he became a total bonehead off the court as well. I still dont think the Fabulous incident is a reflection on him, but the gun-craze he has is strange. (on a side note, if I ever become an NBA player you better believe I am hiring a full-time driver especially for my 4 am excursions).

Now as for the trade of the pick as a whole, yeah I would love to have Brandon Roy right now, but before Tony got hurt I was more than happy with him, Delonte and Rondo.

If Ainge gets nothing out of using Ratliff’s contract and just lets it expire, then I will agree with all the people who hate this trade. But if he uses it in a deal, which I believe is his only option for this team, then I’m still going to be fine with it.

Brandon Roy doesnt make us a championship contender, but if we manage to get one of those big names that keep popping up we’ll be in good, no, great shape going into next year.

“We should have a BIIIIIIIIG sebastian telfair night at the Gar’en”

Maybe Bassy can get a “big Sebastian Telfair night” for some Euro squad?
What an idiot. Good riddance.
Wyc needs to officially ban Ainge from making any future trades.

Rondo is untouchable? He can’t shoot, and I will be shocked if he ever breaks 32-33% from the field for a season… Out of the league within 2 years…

Re greenkite….That Rondo FINISHED the season hitting 23/25 foul shots (not in practice but in game-time, stressed-filled situations) is a better indication of his future shooting “potential” than a pessimistic prediction based on early season performance. Rondo has been working with the coaching staff on shooting mechanics and at this point in time his foul shooting improvement confirms his shooting aptitude!

 "moskqq said:
  As an addendum, since neither Telfair nor Ratliff performed as hoped, it’s fair to say that trading the 7th pick was all about saving money. "

No, what would be “fair” to say is that the trade, to this point, is an absolute disaster, but that Ratliff’s large and expiring contract might bail the team out. The only other “fair” thing to say is that, if the team is not surprised or upset at the failures of Ratliff and Telfair, then the move was all about the money and Boston fans are stuck with owners who are so cheap that they toss away top 10 picks just to save a buck.

JohnnyRondo, I agree with you. I wouldn’t want them to use the pick to move Wally either. Just throwing it out there as food for thought that our “management committee” might decide this course of action. Wally only has two years left. But the owners may be that cheap to try this? I hope not. You have to wonder if that was what the Telfair trade was about. Or did Danny feel that whoever was going to be there at #7 wouldn’t make much of an impact and he felt compelled to roll the dice on Bassy. That and having Ratliff’s contract to move in a future trade. I seem to remember when Danny traded for Ricky Davis he talked about how Ricky had a nice contract at the time (5-6 mil, moveable down the road).

Rondo outta the league? Kevin Ollie has a 15 yr career going,Miracle Milt played a few,Avery won titles etc etc …Rondo will be a Hall a Famer before he’s outta this league…he rebounds,finds open guys,steals a few and dunks in traffic….can he manup and hit 15fter to be a star?? that we don’t know

Well said motown. haha i mean we are upset with the current situation for one reason or another but out of the league in two years is one of the best comments I’ve heard in a long time. Telfair is the going to be a star in tehran with chris herron.