PBN's Early Look At The Atlantic

by Jeff Clark on Aug 2, 2009 7:16 AM EDT in Boston Celtics News & Links

It is still early for this sort of thing, but Pro Basketball News takes a shot at breaking down the offseasons for teams in the Atlantic. Here are some thoughts on the Celtics.

Biggest risk: Playing chicken with RFA Glen "Big Baby" Davis" has been a calculated gamble by VP Danny Ainge, who was fortunate that his backup big did not get the mid-level exception from a desperate team. Davis still has to be brought back to fortify the frontcourt.

Vacancies: Assuming Davis returns to plug the frontcourt hole, the Celts still need a backup point guard to keep Rajon Rondo fresh -- and humble. There are plenty out there, but believing that Daniels and Eddie House can handle it will be a mistake come playoff time.

Overall grade: B. Can anyone really say the Celtics wouldn't have won the East if Garnett was healthy? They went out and got an insurance policy who plays for championships -- which is exactly what they intend on doing.

Raps got an A, Knicks and Nets got a C, and the Sixers got a D.

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Comments

Uhhhh

I hope the grade he gives is for offseason moves and not the overall quality of the team…

by Push on Aug 2, 2009 7:40 AM EDT reply actions

yes, clearly

he’s grading the offseason moves

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V

by Jeff Clark on Aug 2, 2009 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree with the grades. We still need to resign Davis, finalize Daniels deal and add a couple of more veterans (Bowen, backup PG, 6th big) for this offseason to be a great…

by thebirdman on Aug 2, 2009 8:08 AM EDT reply actions

Good read.

That article is quite a good read, if you want a quick update on those teams. Loved it.

- Dirk 'DaarisDirk' van Boxtel

by Kiorrik on Aug 2, 2009 8:13 AM EDT reply actions

Toronto

always looks good until the play together and it’s apparent how bad their defense is.

If you can’t make a 3 or if you play really good defense do not apply.

"Do you know that nonbelievers create the most positive energy?" Davis said

by Birdbrain on Aug 2, 2009 8:21 AM EDT reply actions

I think a B+ would have been more in line. If they sign Big Baby they get an A.
A Bench consisting of:
Wallace-C/PF
Big Baby-PF
Daniels-SF/SG
House-SG/PG
TBD-PG
TBD-3rd string big man
Plus Scal, T-Allen, Walker, Giddons (all trade bait) to go along with our starting 5 is pretty formidable.

by Marco33 on Aug 2, 2009 8:39 AM EDT reply actions

if those guys are trade bait

need to try another fishing hole, cos from what i gather they haven’t even generated a nibble.

by lakersbluedevil on Aug 2, 2009 9:15 AM EDT reply actions

It would be like trying to trade Sasha, Luke or Farmar

only if they had some talent.

"Do you know that nonbelievers create the most positive energy?" Davis said

by Birdbrain on Aug 2, 2009 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions

I think we should be graded with...

an Incomplete (along with all the other teams… Off-season grades should be done when all acquisitions are done)… If we retain Baby, acquire Bowen, and get a PG… I would like to get Marbury back (I’m probably crazy cuz of that)…, I would give our off-season grade an A+… but for now along with everyone else we should be graded with an Incomplete.

by Mike-Dub on Aug 2, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions

I was not excited about but okay with Marbury returning until his Ustream performance.

by clover on Aug 2, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions

hahhaha

i will tell that to luke and this three rings as starting SF.

take a look at their MPG’s and PER, birdbrain.

by lakersbluedevil on Aug 2, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Rings?

They won despite Luke…not because of Luke!

by Title 18 on Aug 2, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

they have expiring contracts in tony and scal, those are valuable come trade dealine, thats how the lakers got gasol, desperate teams will make stupid moves exspecially, with the crazy free agency coming up

by celtics94 on Aug 2, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Gasol...

LA got Gasol because the worst GM ever {Chris Wallace} wanted to take out revenge against the Celts, who fired him in 2003.

With Bynum injured, Wallace was afraid LA would be no title threat to Boston.
So, he literally gave them Gasol!

by Title 18 on Aug 2, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Think of it as a mid-term grade

by Surferdad on Aug 2, 2009 10:51 AM EDT reply actions

Good point.

by Mike-Dub on Aug 2, 2009 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't understand one thing

Why does he say that Davis must be brought back? As if the Celtics roster is somehow completely dependent on a player who will get at most a few minutes of play per game.

Honestly the only thing that would make sense is if he said “they should get another backup big.”

B seems too low so far, provided Daniels really is a Celtic. The rasheed signing is huge, and he was one of the most valuable free agents on the market.. getting him w/o losing anything was a B+/A- in itself

by TomHamilton30 on Aug 2, 2009 12:14 PM EDT reply actions

I think the argument would be that taking away Powe and Davis, adding Wallace you're down

~~-one functional big off the bench~~-even given that Wallace is better than Powe or Davis. And, other than Davis, the C’s are unlikely to add a moderately-good big guy at this point.

by clover on Aug 2, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Oops--don't even know how I made that 'strike this' action happen!

by clover on Aug 2, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

sort of

Maybe by sheer bodies, and I’m sure they’ll still get a big. But Wallace will (hopefully) be playing more minutes than Powe & BBD did combined.

by TomHamilton30 on Aug 2, 2009 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, and I bet the Spurs got a B every year over the last decade as well.

by davemonsterband on Aug 2, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions

good point lol.

I’d love for someone to go back through all of the “experts” picks on stuff. Typically I don’t mind predictions, etc b/c they are fun. But I can’t stand when a writer speaks as though things are set in stone and he is absolutely right.

by TomHamilton30 on Aug 2, 2009 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Daniels

I keep hearing statements about Daniels versatility, with Daniels Point Guard Pruit would not be getting playing time, Daniels last year played 30 min a game. Is Daniels going to be the primary backup for PG/SG & SF? He is young enough to play long minutes. And I guess they are saying he is versatile enough. Put House in for 10, Daniels for 30. Pierce, Allen and Rondo are each playing 35mpg. TA, Giddens, Walker, & Hudson are naturals at the bench position.

by Bozo on Aug 2, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

i want this daniels deal done already im starting to worry about it, u think its possible the celtics are using him as a trading chip

by celtics94 on Aug 2, 2009 5:25 PM EDT reply actions

do u think it would be better to keep big baby or sign n trade him for a good back up pg like rafer alston. this would be a huge backup pg and would show rondo that if he wants to be a flashy, cocky player, that we can throw rafer alston in and well still be very good. Also it might get him motivated to get that jumper falling more consistently

by celtics94 on Aug 3, 2009 1:25 AM EDT reply actions

Getting another backup point guard would be nice, but I can’t stand when people say the Celtics NEED one to win a title because they can’t with Eddie House. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t winning a title with Eddie House at backup point guard exactly what they did two years ago? And that was before Rajon Rondo developed into one of the top starting point guards in the league.

by Jumpin' Jack Flash on Aug 3, 2009 10:25 AM EDT reply actions