CTC: Who Gets Cut?
by Jeff Clark on Sep 26, 2008 6:54 AM EDT
in Boston Celtics News & Links
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PrintCountdown To Camp: 3 Days To Media Day
All this week I'll be counting down the days till camp with questions that need to be answered sometime during camp. (Also See: 9 Days | 8 Days | 7 Days | 6 Days | 5 Days | 4 Days)
First of all: We're almost there folks! It was the shortest summer in recent memory and how sweet it was. Training camp starts next week. Sunburned beat reporters will be unpacking their things and settling in for a long season covering the team and we'll have a ton of new articles to link to and talk about. We'll finally start getting answers to these questions.
Here we are just days away from camp and there's been no official word of Sam Cassell putting ink to paper. So it is possible this is a moot point from the start. However, when Sam says he's coming and Ainge says he's interested, it seems like a question of "when" not "if."
We talked about the potential of a trade as well. I'm sure Danny will stay on the phone and scout other people's situations closely (for example the Blazers have several point guards and the Bulls have dozens of shooting guards, what will they be doing?). Plus we'll see if Danny has any surprise invites to camp. That would swell the number and add a little more intrigue to this question.
However, assuming Sam is signed and no trades are made, somebody is going to have to be cut. Let's look at some candidates (in the order determined by the poll to the right).
Brian Scalabrine: Everyone's favorite whipping boy because he's just such an easy target. Reasons for a possible cut are obvious. When a healthy player isn't even activated for the playoffs, he isn't part of anyone's plan going forward. However, there are a few reasons to keep him around.
For one thing his contract runs for two more years (including this one). Outright cutting him leaves that dead money on the books and takes away any ability to use his contract to match salaries in a trade. Right now his deal lines up nicely with several other deals on the team that expire in the summer of LeBron & Co.
Also, on the basketball court there is still a chance he could be counted on to play some more in the absence of James Posey. Of course you all were quick to tell me how very not worried you were about that situation yesterday.
In the end, my best guess is that he'll either be cut outright or traded with a second rounder for another guy that we can then cut with less of a cap hit.
Sam Cassell: He hasn't even signed yet and already people want him cut. Again, we've gone over this topic in detail so I won't waste too much time on it. I will, however, say that I don't know why Danny would bring him in, especially with a deal to coach after the season, if he didn't anticipate him making the team.
Gabe Pruitt: He's still just a largely unknown commodity at this point. This training camp will be huge for him. He can no longer call upon the excuse of being a rookie. He didn't play much last year, but he got a season of practice as a pro and got a little run in the D-League (where it seems that he played pretty well). If he can come in and turn heads at the point guard spot, he might push Sam Cassell into early retirement/coaching. If he's just not ready yet but still has promise, he might be in for another year at the end of the bench. If he shows us nothing, he might be packaged in a deal or outright cut. Like I said, it is a big camp for him.
Darius Miles: As discussed, this depends very heavily upon his health. We don't know if he's 90%, 85%, 75%, or 105% until he gets on the court and starts competing. We'll be waiting to see him sky for his first dunk. We'll be watching his first step to see if he looks like guy that once scored 47 points in a game or if he's just "that guy" that was in The Perfect Score a long time ago.
So, if camp ended today, who would you cut? Who do you think has the most to prove this camp? Who is your pick to surprise people and make the team and contribute despite the doubts noted above?
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To me it depends on the camp performance of Miles and Pruitt. I’m leaning toward Miles because neither his health nor his salary is guaranteed. Plus, he was never very good to begin with; he was always about potential that he never lived up to. I’d prefer to have shooters around the big 3 and Miles can’t shoot. In that respect, he could never begin to replace the way Posey spaced the court.
No way that it is Scal. They aren’t going to cut a guy who can come in and play the three and guard the four when we are thin in those areas in order to keep 4 pg’s. If Pruitt can’t come in and beat out Sam then it will be him. Much better idea though would be to not sign Sam!
The only possible change to that is if Darius goes down which I feel that there is a 50-50 chance of happening. He’ll play a couple weeks and get injured and that will be that.
Unless Gabe Pruitt has a guaranteed contract AND has a GREAT training camp, I can’t see him sticking. This is assuming Darius Miles IS actually still around that 85-95 of his old self. Not too small of an assumption really. Cutting Scal on overall logic does not make sense. Based on talent maybe, but he has a guaranteed contract that expires after next year. Good asset as a trade throw in if need be. This is not to mention that he has contributed A LOT more than Pruitt. Sam Cassell is a “can’t hurt” signing. I could care less whether or not we do sign him. I do still have a problem with people thinking that signing him over Pruitt is a such a disaster, as if a player of Gabe Pruitt’s ability is soooo hard to come by.
Darius is allowed to play in the pre-season correct?
by WeMadeIt17 on Sep 26, 2008 10:35 AM EDT reply actions
How many players are on the C’s roster now? 16 is it? Just one cut needed?
Miles is my favourite to be waived. I think he’s going to have to put in a special camp, not just good but special. He needs to wholly and consistently outplay Giddens and Walker to get a roster spot. I’m in a “show me and then I’ll believe” mindset regarding Miles.
I don’t know when the waive Pruitt ideas started popping up, but they seemed to come from nowhere. I doubt Danny waives him after his rookie year, not after the believe he showed in him last season with the draft pick and 3 year contract. I think it’ll take something special for Danny to even consider it.
I also don’t know why they’d cut Sammy if they were to sign him to a contract. He’s not Jackie Manuel, he’s an old hand with a big rep, and very likely could have gotten a job elsewhere in the league if the C’s told him they weren’t interested.
I doubt Scal is an option. His contract can be a trade-able commodity for the team and he also provides nice depth to the squad.
In some respects, Rhondo is your young developing point guard that you look to the future with. And I think we should still be focused on winning Titles when we can. (the next two years at least) (Powe, Davis, Walker, Pruitt, Giddens make 5 2nd round (and I include Giddens) draft picks.) They cannot all be steals, such that you let go of veterans who can help you today, in the hopes that these 2nd rounders will turn into Championship Caliber allstars. The Pierce/Garnett/Allen’s come from the top of the draft. Like Miles/POB. If you keep Miles, you almost have to have a back up plan (Scal). Powe, TA and to some extent Davis have established themselves as contributors to this Championship Team. Giddens and Walker probably have more potential than Pruitt (an undersized off guard, trying to learn the skills of point guard)
Regardless of the finals, Doc played Cassell a lot, and I think he was comfortable with Cassell running the show. Pruitt is a shooter,…….. but we have Eddie. Pruitt was not part of anything on last years team. If you cut – Pruitt walks.
I can see the cut pruitt if we get marubury
by WeMadeIt17 on Sep 26, 2008 11:43 AM EDT reply actions
HOLD IT, HOLD IT, for one second.
I know we are talking about cuts here, but has anyone gone to ESPN and looked at Stein’s Power Rankings!!!! He has the Celtics ranked before our season begins at NUMBER 16, yup 16th ranking among all teams.
I can understand if they were in the top 5, maybe just maybe top 10 but he has them ranked 16th
Should we start playing the disrespect card here or what!
this comment about pruitt made me laugh: “He can no longer call upon the excuse of being a rookie.”
funny…when we had that young team with all that potential a couple years ago (before garnett and allen) if one would have made this comment here they would have been crucified…this was indeed an “allowable” excuse.
how times have changed…
Don’t sign Sam to player contract. Make him an assistant coach(if they like him that much) and keep him in shape just in case. I too am skeptical of Miles. He could be gone by 2nd day of camp.
The anti-Scal crowd can’t think straight anymore. He played pretty good hustle D and can go 3-4. He was atrocious shooting. If that can come back he can be a good role player.
Scalabrine shouldn’t even be included in the conversation. It simply won’t happen. He’s Ainge’s guy, one of his first signings, a great practice player, and there’s anyway ZERO evidence that management would be willing to eat the two years of his deal. More likely, he goes Cassell’s route and is brought into the organization in 2011. (Or maybe, maybe, get’s dealt next season as an expiring…) It’s more likely that Giddens or Walker is dealt than Brian is cut.
It’s Pruitt’s spot to lose. Miles’ spot to win.
by The Walker Wiggle on Sep 26, 2008 2:02 PM EDT reply actions
m035_green – If the entire garden crowd obviously likes and is rooting for Scal then maybe the question should be why do you dislike Scal so much? Maybe it is just YOU and a small minority of badmouthers that doesn’t like Scal. I think the guy is great. He is a great community guy, a great teammate, one of the harder working guys on the squad, has a pretty funny personality, and can come out and play well within our system. He can defend the PF spot. Is always working hard at setting picks to get other guys free. The only complaint I have with Scal is that he isn’t hitting those threes like he once was. If he was hitting at a higher percentage you would have seen a lot more of him over the past couple years.
Face it. The guy is a really good guy that hasn’t quite panned out as well as we would have liked offensively. That’s why he is sitting on the bench. He is however that when KG goes down like last year you can throw into the lineup and he will give it his all. You need guys like that. Ripping them to shreds, especially personal attacks, just shows how little people understand the game.
Injuries will likely decide cuts, with that being said, the lack of improvement and low salary put Pruitt on the hot seat…
by Fastbreak on Sep 26, 2008 2:40 PM EDT reply actions
There are too many un-answered questions at this point for me to decide who i think stays or gets cut.
If scali worked really hard on his shot and has his confidence back , then his shooting touch coupled with his other intangibles, has me wanting him to get 10 minutes a night.
If Miles is healthy and is ready to go and is willing to put defense first, then i think he is a keeper. I think he is up to the challenge of playing defense to get minutes and will know thats how he is going to get back on the court in this league.
Pruitt is pretty much an unknown for me as i havent got up to speed on what the coaches had him work on this summer and what he accomplished on the list.
Walker and Giddens both could be in a battle for the same spot, but they have the D league as a safety net.
Sam Cassel is the odd man out, he could give us a spark here and there, but i want to see him out there this preseason to see if he is young enough to play and if his back hasnt pretty much regulated him to retirement.
I cant wait to kick off the new season and have all these and other questions answered. Go Celtics
With all due respect, I believe the chances of Cassell being cut are merely academic. Whether he signs or not; but once signed, he’s not going to be cut. It’s Sam Cassell, not some scrub fighting for a spot in a NBA roster.
That being sad, Miles is clearly the elephant in the room until he proves he can contribute.
If he does and Cassell is signed, than Pruitt is the one gone, not Scal.
It’s a long season. An old veteran can come on the scene in late January and help out. J Willams just retired, he may want help spread the floor for a contender late in the season.
In the mean time, Pruitt should be given an opportunity to market himself early in the year, he has to be given a chance to play at this level. If he shows anything, then he becomes another chip.
Scal stays unless you can get a clear upgrade at his position (contract, good guy, someone to piss Dwight Howard off for five minutes a game…)
Sam, I think we all saw signs of aging last spring. I just can’t see him winning a spot in October, if the playoffs started today, yeah.
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