We're Not Done... or Are We?

Webber would be able to get you some buckets from the high post, but he’s not a finisher. I’d like to see some “killer instict” guys on this team. None of the characters above suit our needs.

While there may not be fitting free agent left on the market that does not mean the C’s are done. Obviusly a trade can still be made to improve the team. No one saw the Ray Allen trade comming until it was agreed upon before the draft. A trade could easily come out of no where again.

There’s no point trying to make a trade when all the other teams are on vacation. Wait until training camp.

After reading that list, i HOPE we’re done.

Actually, I have to admit, I think Webber would work well with PP, RA and AJ. He is a great passer, could play high post. They would be the worst defensive team ever, but a powerful offense.

Welcome back to purgatory …. in the play offs and bounced in the first round … only to get the 15-20th pick in the first round … let’s just hope management can pull another gem # 15 (al jeffersonish type pick)… c ya in 5 years with more hope … i hope

We need someone who can rebound and play defense – both team and individual.

Charlie Bell would be a decent backup for Rondo. I haven’t seen a whole lot of him but from the limited times I have watched him he seemed solid, with a nice stroke from the outside, with poise and an average handle. I would personally want a bit more experience out of my backup PG however. The only other player that I would be really interested in is Varejao but the price would likely be too steep. He would be a near perfect fit with Al Jefferson though.

If the C’s don’t think that TA is going to be get back near 100% and are not confident in Gerald/Gomes as backups on the wing (and your looking to deal Gomes/Green)guys like Barnes and Patterson start to make some sense but only on short money type deals.

we may be done with free agents, but there are still a handful of trades that could happen. Unless it’s a trade to bring a big name guy that can help us go to the Finals, I say wait it out until the season starts and see what exactly you have in your current roster. Specifically, Tony Allen, Ryan Gomes, and Gerald Green. Let’s see if any of these three are going to step up like Big Al did last year.

There are still a couple of players out there that can help us, Brian Skinner comes to mind.

Most of what is left is obviously ‘second tier’ talent, but that is what we were going to end up with. Gugliotta, Scalabrine, etc.

To repeat a comment, most teams will wait until they see what they have in camp before making any trades. Some will release or waive people like we just did with A. Ray. The next will be Dee from Utah? 8)

Or, we could trade some of the bunch of pieces we have for someone, which always seemed like the plan anyway. I don’t know who thought we’d be big free agent players with our MLE and a 24 win team.

Achemist, I agree about Varejoa being a good compliment to AJ. That’s why I thought Noah might have been a good pick, if we kept it.

The Cavs will match anything we can offer .. Ferry has been told to go into luxury tax zone if he wants (within reason)
Webber wants to win a ring , for a team with the second worst record last year , regardless of potential you can safely rule us out..
Udoka is a very good role player and the blazers and the spurs who will start looking for a heir apparent to Bowen have already got him marked. Also he does not fit a need.
Charlie Bell would take a job thats seems to have already been earmarked to Telfair so whats the point?

Nice article that pretty much tells it like it is. It also confirms suspicions that the Celtic’s don’t have the ability to secure good talent because our pantry isn’t filled with great players.

No trade plus no free agent equals a long year. We’re .500 at best with this crew, and I mean super-healthy (can’t anyone to go down, and someone usually does). So, what, eighth seed in the woeful East, one-and-done in the playoffs.
Sweet!

We aren’t going from the second worst team in the league to the championship even with our group healthy. Danny’s best opportunity for picking up a “free” player is going with an international. Frankly I’m shocked that we’ve not seem the least bit interested in drafting foreign talent but there were a couple of undrafted International players that were highly touted a few years ago that could be worth a camp invite. The best bet is through a trade and play out the season with who we have and see if any of them are consistent (AJ, Gomes) back from injury (Tony Allen, Ratliff) or worth the gamble (GG, Telfair, Wallace, Pruitt, Big baby.

Unrestricted FAs are the only ones worth pursuing anyways and there will be a ton of folks available next summer that could alter the balance.

The sell high buy low routine – I don’t see anyone out there unless you want Washington’s bigs and they’re not worth it unless they take Scals back.

It seems to leaves the question, who’s overseas that could help us?

is Roy Tarpley still playing..

We’re done? It’s only July 27th, plenty of time left for trades or signings. These are just the remaining FA’s left after lewis really. wasn’t known as FA summer.

I think it’s okay if we are done for only the next 2-3 months or so. I think Danny shouldn’t have made it sound so much like the other shoe was going to drop over the next few weeks after the draft.

I think it may be wise to take a step back. See what you got, see how other players, FA or not, are doing leading up to the season. See who has shown vast improvement, been working on certain parts of their game, getting in better shape, etc. then maybe even go into the season before making a trade.

The Eastern Conference won’t be won in the first month or two of the season, so Danny shouldn’t rush a trade or signing just to please the fans.

The Celtics are probably done until the trade deadline … when they will be shopping Pierce and/or Ray Allen for expiring contracts and young players/picks. At best, this squad looks like an eighth seed to me and that’s only if Rondo somehow morphs into s steady point guard. Ainge should have kept Delonte and plugged Corey Brewer into the 2-guard position. What should he have done with Wally? Either sit him on the end of the bench with Veal or use Ratliff’s deal to help ship him out of town.

Top-notch GM’s target key players for team acquisition and then go get them. It’s understood that you have to “give” something good in order to “get” something good in return. The important component here is the real TEAM value of the player you are trying to get.

The ability to acquire a “difference-maker” and thereby substantially improve your team often means that you must OVERPAY to get them. So what? Key player acquisitions are worth the extra cost. The test question remains…is this player important to team success?

When Red traded “Easy Ed” to get the draft rights to Bill Russell the trade LOOKED lopsided in favor of SanFrancisco. When Red traded the #1 pick in the draft for “fumble-fingers” Robert Parish and Kevin McHale (an awkward-looking center projected to play at PF) the universal question was WHY Robert Parish?…who seemed a disaster in the paint because he couldn’t hold onto passes thrown to him.

Admittedly Red was lucky with both players as they were on the verge of “breaking-out”. The important ingredient is the GM who recognizes talent potential at key team positions and then goes out and gets those players.

By contrast, regardless of monetary constraints, Ainge only targets those players that he can seemingly afford instead of the “bold” approach where one targets KEY players and then finds ways to acquire that player.

I think the C’s are done for at least a few months. If Danny is going to beef up the team with better talent, his bargaining position now is to offer quantity for quality.

A combination of GG, Gomes, Powe, Telfair, Veal, Davis, Pruitt would help a team looking for depth that can afford to give up a starter.

I wouldn’t offer the new ‘big 3’ to anyone and would hold onto Rondo, TA and Perk unless a lopsided offer was made for them. Granted TA and Perk need to show they’re healthy still but those 3 make a very solid/good top 6.

I wonder how many basket ball playes are on the clear.
amare stoudemire always comes to my mind . the roids that make you faster with more endurance and agressivenes, like the world class sprinters and bikers take, not the roids that kevin willis took to “pump you upp” i think thats the way to go unless your in wrestling would be the exception. if gg was on roids , he would be more aggressive underneath faster stronger more endurance and he would be a shawn marion clone gg needs that aggessiveness or mean streak to be the player the team wants. i hope he gets it and without the clear. then we would have that big 3 we desire

So G.Green had a bad Las Vegas! No argument there. Giving up his potential for proven mediocrity as you are suggesting is stupid. He can fly, he can shoot and he may be able to learn the rest. I doubt that he received much education even in high school. He’s 21. Give him time!

I think Danny had a good offseason. None of the big superstars have shown they can win without help adn getting them would have shipped out too much help. Ray Allen is super. Good shooter, great guy. Sorry to lose D.West but he was one of those “chips” who did not have “cornerstone” potential and we would have taken Ji and we didn’t need another soft,young shooter. We’ve still got the Ratliff card to either play (literally), play (in trade) or hold to pay Big Al next year. Nice “no move” Danny! And Big Baby and Wallace (and maybe Pruitt) look like good NBA potential for toughness and D on the wing. Nice work Danny!

Ratliff may solve the need for help at the 5 and the biggest exposure is back up at PG. I don’t see Doc ever bringing out the best in Telfair, and Pruitt didn’t show much in LV. I do think that Barea was “the one that got away” per his LV games.

There are no free agent point guards or centers worth thinking about. Remember also that a free agent means cutting another player, since the Celtics’ roster is maxed out at 15 if they sign Davis and Pruitt. So there would probably have to be sign-and-trade, unless the C’s are willing to waive goodbye to Pruitt, which I seriously doubt.

Varejao is a nice hustle player, but he’s way too expensive.

Pietrus is a good defender but probably too expensive. Matt Barnes is a punk and in any event he would not thrive in Rivers’ plodding, slowdown, ISO-heavy offense. Patterson is a registered sex offender, so he wouldn’t be Wyc Grousbeck’s cup of tea.

Ime Udoka is a good defender and might be worth pursuing, and so would Boykins, who would be fun to watch.

Well, SOMETHING needs to happen. Right now we don’t look like a playoff team – even with the addition of Allen. I would put the Pistons, Cavs, Raptors, Bulls, Heat, Nets, Magic and Wizards ahead of us.

Ok everyone, please remind me again why a Ratliff/Green for Camby trade doesn’work? I know Camby is a little old and has a huge salary. However, he’s still one of the best defensive centers in the league. Is it because Denver does not want to give him up? They have Nene, and his numbers were not too bad last year. Is it because they would have no depth at the Center position if they gave up Camby? Is it because Green stinks and they have no use for him (they already have J.R. Smith)? Unless I am mistaken, they are still way over the cap – so don’t they need to unload a few guys? Would we need to take Reggie Evans as part of the deal? Would we need to include Powe or Gomes to make it work? Would they have a need for Telfair? I’d just like some answers on this.

DJ, the answer is simple. Danny has only one target right now. He will wait another month if it means McHale will be willing to move/can convince KG to move to Boston. Once that is officially dead in Ainge’s mind then we can move on to something else.

Ratliff/Green for Camby doesn’t work because:

1. Denver would have to include more salary to make it work: either Najera or Evans. Camby only makes 8 million a year.

2. They drink kool aid in the mile high city, too, and they won’t be ready to trade Camby until it becomes clear that the Nuggets are going nowhere. Probably what will happen is that George Karl will be fired. After that, they will start trying to break up the luxury tax monster they have created.

i say we sign brevin and pj brown. wait and see if theo can do anything this coming season.

Anyone have any thoughts on why we haven’t signed Pruit and Davis yet?

They haven’t signed Pruitt and Davis because they are still waiting for Kevin Garnett to grovel at Danny Ainge’s feet and beg to come to Boston.

not much out there free agent-wise. and danny’s track record with trades-not so hot.not much to look forward to.

Thanks guys for the Camby comments. Makes sense.

good job dobbs – a well-written guest column for once.