Please, No Creative PG Solutions

With all the points coming in from the draft maybe someone becomes available.

give a full time training camp who knows what he will bring back? was not there some rumor that hes got an offer from ainge?

If we’re bringing a vet pg in now, it better be through a trade so we have the room and get a better player. More likely, that doesn’t happen until midseason.

Could anyone explain it to me? Thanks. Because i read this story

http://www.interbasket.net/news/3273/2009/08/10/linas-kleiza-leaves-nba-signs-with-olympiakos/

I think they’ll give every chance for JR Giddens or Bill Walker to earn some playing time as the 4th wing (or 5th, depending on whether House plays the point or the off-guard). Both guys have talent, and we just need one of them to start to “get it” (seems like they both need the game to slow down for them, they both seem to play a bit out of control at times). From Danny’s recent comments, seems unlikely that we’ll be in the mix for Bruce Bowen. A trade for Mardy Collins would be nice, not a great player but a servicable backup with enough size to maybe play alongside Eddie. I’m still thinking that we’ll see a fair amount of an Eddie/Daniels backcourt before all is said and done.

Let’s assume Ainge believes that a 2nd unit back court of Daniels and Eddie is workable even though neither are pure PGs. Then we are talking about a 3rd string PG who will be number 10-12 on the active roster. Not a lot of minutes there and Lester Hudson may be the game plan until mid season dumpings. Because Ainge may have figured that mid season availble talent – faceless and nameless at this point – is a better risk than Jason Williams , for ex, who will cost double given the luxury tax. Jason Williams, by the way, played “matador defense” (shout out to Tommy) the last time I saw him.

I suspect they don’t fill that roster spot until training camp. They’ll see how Daniels does as a quasi-point when they start playing the preseason games; if they do decide they need an upgrade, you can just as easily make a trade for a Mardy Collins-type in a couple of months as you can now.

They’ll go into camp with 14 guaranteed contracts and with Hudson and one or two others (Swift? less likely after the Williams signing, but still a possibility) competing for the last spot on the roster. Unless, of course, they can figure out how to unload Tony Allen without getting any dead bodies in return; if they can, then maybe they go after a Ty Lue-type for the end of the roster, but I really think they go into camp with one free roster spot.

I’ve been advocating going the Eddie House route. Even when Cassell and Marbury were here, House still got run at the PG spot. And as much as I hated it at times, what he gave with shooting often made up for other deficiencies.

Plus, I really don’t see how we’re going to “run Rondo into the ground” by playing him a lot of minutes. What exactly constitutes a lot of minutes? I think someone his age should have no problem playing 36-38 mpg in the regular season. And if he does that, that’d limit House’s minutes to 10-12 mpg and probably fewer in the playoffs.

I think we can get by with that.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t like Jason Williams or Bobby Jackson; I would. But I don’t think it’s do or die.

They don’t need a PG for regular minutes, they have a rotation of: Perk, KG, Pierce, Ray, Rondo, Sheed, Daniels, House, Baby – that’s 9 guys that will get all the minutes unless there is a blowout. In case of a blowout, Hudson is fine.

The risk is if one of these guys got ejected or injured for an extended period of time: Rondo, Ray, Pierce, Daniels, House.

If its anyone but Rondo or Daniels, my guess is you see Tony Allen pushed up. If Rondo or Daniels go down you are back to last year, where the second unit is short a ball handler. If this is a one week thing, the team can get through it. If this is a one month thing, or happens during the playoffs, the team is going to be in trouble.

But here’s the hard part, an actual good PG won’t want to sign here. They aren’t going to crack the rotation, they are going to ride the pine. Assume Starbury was playing at closer to average level and looking for a one year deal to show everyone in the league. The C’s are a bad fit, even more so, because Daniels is not a shooter, they need to think long and hard about bringing in a PG that can’t hit the 3 pt shot.

If CLE wasn’t such a rival, a House for West deal (plus whatever filler was needed) would make sense IMO. I see House as a better pure shooter, which should be more useful to CLE with James on ball so much, and West’s better height and passability as a ball handler would allow him to play next to Rondo or Ray Allen and also be the insurance policy.

As it is I think the C’s should look for a veteran they are comfortable starting for a week if Rondo goes down, with the understandning that they will have to trade or sign someone if Rondo goes down for a month or more. This means a lower caliber of player, but its a better idea since the team would fit together better. (And not for nothing, but much like KG last year, if Rondo goes down for a long period of time the team is probably sunk anyways – there is just not anyone you can sign to be an adequate backup for Rondo.)

He’s experienced from the Sacremento, LA rivalry. He knows Dfish inside and out! Get him for this year so we can win him a chip so he can retire/fade away happily like Cassell did. Get him Danny!

Brevin Knight is the guy they should sign. He might have a little bit left in the tank.

With house and Daniels able to man the spot in short periods and wing players like TA, Walker and Giddens to back up PP and Ray Allen he could be a viable option. I think undrafted D-leaguers are cheaper option at the paint. He has played and started at the point guard position in the past. He also fits the defense first mindset of a point guard that the Celtics need. He was a two time all defense team member. He has good size for a point guard at 6’4". He can also guard 2 guard when he is paired with House. He is a little bit turnover prone but hopefully he can overcome that with the slowed down offense that the celtics play.

For all of the worry warts (and experts) who apparently think that they know more about what it takes to build a winning basketball team than GM Danny Ainge, here is some food for thought.
Cousy was a great PG and K.C. Jones certainly got the job done. But after K.C. the only effective true point guard to play significant minutes the Celts have had prior to Rondo’s arrival was Tiny Archibald.
Who was starting at PG, much less coming off the bench, when Boston won the following six titles:
…67-68: Hustling Larry Siegfried (?) 4.7 apg (.149 apm);
…68-69: Still Hustling Siegfried (?) 4.7 apg (.145 apm);
…73-74: Shoot First Jo Jo White (?) 5.5 apg (.138 apm);
…75-76: Still Shooting Jo Jo (?) 5.4 apg (.137 apm);
…83-84: Half-Court Passer Johnson (?) 4.2 apg (.127 apm);
…85-86: Great Half-Courter Johnson (?) 5.8 apg (.167 apm).
Siegfried, White, and Johnson were versatile multi-talented guards; all three proving with two titles each, that it is how all the pieces fit and compliment the total team effort that actually matters. Ainge should know, he experienced this first hand (e.g. 85-86).
With Eddie House shooting at one end and guarding the shorter of the opponents’ guards at the other, while Marquis Daniels guards the taller opposing guard at one end and runs the point at the other is going to work out fine. And keep in mind that we are talking here about second units.
Working together with the whole team from training camp through the entire regular season is going to make a big difference and will throw playoff opponents for a loop with little time for them to adjust.