Bring Back Some Familiar Faces
by Jeff Clark on Jun 22, 2010 5:53 AM EDT
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintI don't know about you, but with so many openings on our roster, I can't help but think about filling those holes with some guys that left town in recent years.
Here are some guys I wouldn't mind seeing make a return trip to Boston.
Ryan Gomes - Ainge seemed legitimately broken up to include him in the KG deal. He was a great guy and I always liked his tweener game. If used properly he could be a real asset. He's on the books for 3 more years and there were rumors of a buyout of his contract last year. His deal is only guaranteed for $1M so if the Wolves want to save money and clear space for free agents, he could be set free.
Al Jefferson - The T-Wolves are shopping him, the time could be ripe. Sure, he doesn't play much defense and he has trouble staying healthy, but nobody in the game has more post moves than this guy and we could really use a guy down low. Maybe a Ray Allen sign and trade (with Sheed's contract for filler)?
Bill Walker - We need youth, athleticism, and a guard/forward to spell our old timers. Hey, wasn't that what we said he could provide last year? Doc couldn't find room for him, but maybe a year of experience and a few opportunities to get playing time with the Knicks will open things up for him. I think he could be had with a minimum deal but we'll see.
Eddie House - Hey, you can never have too many sharpshooters. This seems less likely since he's a bit out of the minimum range these days and D'Antoni seems high on him.
Leon Powe - Said it all along, he should have been signed to a make-good contract. Yeah, he didn't exactly contribute much this year, but neither did Shelden Williams. Now Powe has had some time to recover. He's not a free agent, but if he gets cut, I'd like Danny to right this wrong.
Delonte West - I'm a little less excited (and a little less serious) about this since his personal life has taken a few really odd twists and turns. With that said, if he could find a good shrink in Boston, he's got a sweet stroke, a great all-out effort game, and might be the best quote in the league.
Also see: J.R. Giddens, Lester Hudson, Mike Sweetney, and hey how about that Joe Johnson guy?
Failing to make the list: Mark Blount, Mikki Moore, and Patrick O'Bryant
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I want Joe Forte and Kedrick Brown, Import Gerald Green as well!!
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
How could Big Al Jeff not be on this list, especially since he’s been floating in so many trade rumors as of late? ;)
All good ideas, but Big Al would be far and above the best outcome
This team needs another big man, especially one that can rebound and is athletic.
Not sure Big Al's your guy then
Athleticism isn’t his forte.
by TheOutletPass on Jun 22, 2010 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions
But
I always loved his low post game—and he is a solid rebounder as well
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 22, 2010 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
I love his post game too
I just don’t think there’s any way we can get him.
by TheOutletPass on Jun 22, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Thats correct
There is no way the T-Pups take overpaid/aging players for a young, talented forward. They need young, cheap talent, and I don’t see much of it on the C’s roster
Ryan please!
Out of that list, Ryan Gomes might the most feasble. I’d love AJ back, but I don’t think we have the goods to trade for him……forgett about JJ, he is a top free agent
D-Nice
Bring back Delonte!
He probably contributed more to us being in the finals than any other non celtic this past season.
come on Jeff
I love ex players as much as you do but none of those guys are going to make a difference, it’s time to rebuild so let’s get on with it rather than retreading some former players
Really?
Red2—Gomes would be a very good fit—Big Al would be ideal, but I don’t think we can swing it.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 22, 2010 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
+1
and one of the very few young big men who actually has not only a post game, but a highly developed one at that.
Yeah, he’s no KG on D, but he does rebound and to have an inside scorer of his caliber would be very nice, indeed.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 22, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Ugh. A 24-win reunion really doesn’t appeal to me at all, Jeff.
There’s one name on that list that interests me – Jefferson.
Beyond that, I’ll pass.
I agree
This is just nostalgia talking. Which is fine in theory.
But I don’t even want Big Al, given what he’ll probably cost to get hold of.
by TheOutletPass on Jun 22, 2010 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Correct...
Personally, I don`t miss any of them!
That includes Jefferson, who is basically a “tease”.
He cannot stay healthy, not committed to the defensive end, and a bit undersized to be a true impact player down low.
Actually think he works hard on D
He just doesn’t have the tools to be incredibly effective.
That said – neither his Celtics or T-Wolves teams had strong defensive frameworks around him. As we’ve seen, it’s hard to look great on D when there are constant breakdowns in team D all around you.
by TheOutletPass on Jun 22, 2010 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
He has had one major injury
True, he sprained his ankle a few times, but I don’t look at him as a Greg Oden type.
If next year wasn’t going to be another “Hell Bent For Championship” campaign, I’d have liked to see Billy Walker get another shot (at the minimum). I still hold out a little hope that he was included in the Nate Rob trade as a de-facto D-League assignment! But, can’t see how he’d crack next year’s rotation, unless TA was gone.
I would *love to see Big Al back in green, I’m still confident he can learn to be at least an adequate defender. Let him play the 5 while Perk is recouping. Minny wants to start adding veterans, so maybe a stand-up professional like Ray Allen *would be appealing to them (assuming it would be a S&T for Ray and ‘Sheed). You’d still have the MLE to give to Mike Miller.
Could trot out a lineup next year of:
Rondo
Mike Miller
Pierce
KG
Big Al
With a bench of Perk (when he comes back), Big Game Davis, probably TA, #19, and a few assorted things. ‘Sheed gets bought out and comes back in February. That’s still a pretty good team, one that might be a tweak or two away from being a real championship contender but that should still be pretty damn good for a while.
If for whatever reason we cant get tyson chandler
for his blocks defense and rebounds against gasol, bynum , and howard , big al would be a strong candidate .Hes got low post moves galore, thats if hes healthy ? we got to be sure about that . Ray allen for big al straight up if big al is healed . ray is 35 but is in excellent shape hes compared to reggie miller who could still play running around picks for his shot at 40-41.
I would love to get big Al back. But why would sota trade him for Ray Allen?
McHale is not the one calling the shots anymore over there so I don’t see how they would do that
they're sick of being too young
Some talk, since they have three first-round picks this year, that they might be looking to bring in a few veteran players. Unlikely they pick three guys. Seems like they’re feeling it’s time to grow up. Not sure if Ray Allen is necessarily what they’re looking for, but he’d be a good influence on the younger guys and he’s likely going to be a damn good ballplayer for a couple more seasons.
Makes no sense
Minny won’t be any good for several years, by which time Al Jefferson could be great again if he recovers, and by which time Ray will be on his way out of the league.
Gomes *would* help next year...
He could play behind Pierce and a little behind KG, giving both some needed rest… but not at 3 years/$14M. He’s not a player you would add salary beyond 2012 for. If he were to be bought out, he’d be a good pickup, just not for that much $$ or for that many years.
I'm not sure if you heard, but Ray is a free agent
and doesn’t want to play in Minnesota.
They’re rebuilding, they don’t want him and he won’t want to be there.
Can we have some common sense when it comes to these “sign + trade” ideas, I mean, it’s no different than a free agent signing so Ray has to agree to it. Ray isn’t going to agree to this.
I can’t believe that idea is on the front page of this site… I might need to find a new site to visit, one with a shred of common sense.
These trades don't HAVE to happen this summer....
I’d be very surprised if Ray Allen is not back in Boston next fall, on something like a 2 year/$20M deal… but if the team is underperforming come January and they decide they want to blow things up, Ray Allen could then be traded and not have a helluva lot to say about it.
Why?
It doesn’t affect the team’s ability to sign free agents. I suppose it makes him less tradable this year, but it could even make him more tradable the next year. It sometimes helps to have high priced expiring contracts, as we learned from Theo Ratliff and Kwame Brown.
If I were Ray, I’d put a no-trade in any deal I signed. The last thing he wants is to sign with a contender and then get dumped onto a team looking for cap space…
by Stanford_Fan on Jun 22, 2010 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Joe Johnson
He wants max $$ and he’s done….what, exactly? Not much to show for his NBA career beyond being a good scorer. If some team is desperate enough to give him a huge contract, they’ll regret it.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 22, 2010 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Johnson has become one of the best scorers in the NBA... thats what he has done.
I would not break the bank for him…but their was rumors he wanted to come back to Boston possibly.
If true and he wants to play for a winner for less money…he could then be possibly acquired by the C’s.
what about james posey? I know hes a little older but it hasnt worked out with the hornets and hes still a great defender and knock down shooter. Very bib reason for the championship in 08 . Nobody on here has even mentioned him but he locked down Kobe better than anyyone could this year. I think if he were on this years team the would have lost again. Plus the guy is clutch he thrives in the playoffs and becomes a star just like when he got his first ring with my miami heat the guy just clutch. And now with the hornets shopping chris paul and watchin the playoffs on TV I bet posey would not have taken the big money in New Orleans and took less to stay with the celtics he fit their system perfect and played major minutes off the bench always providing a big spark in crucial moments
What about Toine?
I can’t help but bring him up considering that we are talking about a return trip to Boston.
Al, Leon, Bill
Those are the three I would pursue if possible, understanding that all three would have various impacts.
Al is likely a major long shot – but if it could ever happen, it would be a great move. and remember, perk was not exactly known for his defense either before being hooked up with KG. I think al has never been in a winning situation and on a team that really focused on defense – i think he would be surprise everyone if he got a shot to play for a team with a chance for the fist time in his career.
Leon – this isn’t a move that will make a major change, but we saw in the playoffs that shelden williams just can’t cut it. he tried hard, appears to be a great guy, but just is not a very good basketball player. leon in shelden’s role, would be a major upgrade, and a guy at the end of the bench you could trust if an emergency came up.
Bill Walker – It’s too bad we can’t merge tony allen and bill walker. that is exactly waht the celtics need. But walker could be a good fit, with the understanding that Boston will likely need to find a few parts on the cheap. Doc never gave him a chance to play a meaningful minute in his time here – maybe his defense is really that bad, but the guy showed he can score.
Merging TA and Billy
Great call. If we lose TA, I think you try to sign Billy back and teach him that D role .. . but make sure he can also stick a jumper.
by Fred Roberts on Jun 22, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Not as Big a Gomes Fan as Many of You
Yes, he’s got a nice all around game that any coach would love, but he’s undersized and I just don’t think a team with him as one of the top 5 players is going to win anything. On the other hand he’d be a good 8th man.
Delonte is another one like that and I honestly think he’s a weak link for Cleveland in the playoffs and that’s one of the reasons they haven’t been successful. He’s just too inconsistent.
Powe I’d love to see back here.
Not into Gomes either.
We stock up on too many undersized PFs.
by Fred Roberts on Jun 22, 2010 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions
I didn't think anyone was suggesting Gomes would start
I love Ryan, but he is a rotation guy in the NBA.
I have a bad feeling...
I think the Celtics are on the verge of fading back into mediocrity as early as next season unless Ainge does something bold this summer. That is why I was (still am) crushed that we couldn’t close the deal in Game 7. Even if we had won it would have been the last roar of the Big 3 era.
We need to get younger NOW. Ray Allen is not what we need. I’d try and bring back some youth, love Big Al… I almost hope Pierce opts out so we can retool in a big way on the fly.
It is much easier to retool a year before returning to mediocrity than it is once you've sunk into it again--
—which is, I believe what you’re getting at. I don’t want to see them drift from their defensive focus, however, whomever they bring in.
not that I agree but considering how much otherteams AREgoing to change, DA needs to have HIGH sights
we can’t just try to get a little better, we need to shoot for pluto. I realize we can’t get a top line fa. Therefore we need to add everything we don’t have without losing anything we do have: Wing man who can handle the ball and run the break with Rajon; shooter to team with Ray, big, long physical rebounder to get the darn ball into RR hands for the break. How we are going to do it I don’t know but we have to be trying. Somone like AI, someone like Mike Miller, someone like Ty Thomas.
Hell maybe we should grab Shaq, Mike Miller, and AI. What we do with Ta and Baby I have no idea but we have to assume that the only shot is to use the foundation and try to fill every hole
66 wins to 62 wins to 50 wins....to??
Are we a 50-win, top 4 team next season if we basically just bring back the same team? We basically limped into Game 7 after grueling battles against Cleveland and Orlando.
I think you could very well see a 45-win team next season, #6 playoff seed, Doc sees the writing on the wall. He knows the window just shut and although it would be great to “keep the band together” the 2010-11 Celtics could be like Spinal Tap on a steady down slope to irrelevance.
Sorry, but I am VERY pessimistic about the 1-3 year outlook for this team unless we (a) draft stud talent, which just doesn’t happen in the bottom half of the draft; (b) sign a big time player, which we can only do if we allow our big contracts to expire and let guys like Ray, Paul, and KG ride off into the sunset; or © pull off a big trade but it took years for Danny to acquire the chips he needed to get Ray and KG.
I was hoping we would end up developing another in-house scorer (Walker, Giddens, Pruitt, etc.) but that never happened. Bill Walker could be good, but if so we never should have traded him for Robinson. We need young scorers.
What about Raef?
He was so awesome as a Celtic! Sign him to a long-term max contract! Also, the next Michael Jordan: Gerald Green. And what about Pittsnogle? He’s kind of like a mixture of Larry Bird and John Havlicek. And don’t forget “Big Time Player” Jiri Welsch!
And I can't believe I forgot....
…part-time point guard, full-time male model, race car driver, and gun care-taker, Sebustian Telfailure!
Had enough with the defensively-oriented teams, Jeff?
Ready for mostly mediocre, all offense, all the time?
Big Al
I wonder what it would take to get him back. He’d be so great to have back.
Think about the fact that he’s never been able to play his true position, which is power forward. He keeps on getting tossed on such bad teams that they put him at center.
KG detests playing center. If Big Al could be the McHale-esque PF with a strong center beside him (Perk / Cheif type guy), he’d be so much better off. Still not a sure thing with the injuries etc, but he was the one with the high upside, not Perk. Look how vital Perk has become under Clifford Ray and with the rest of the support structure the Celtics have provided.
Big Al to back up KG for two years, shouldering more and more of a load and mixing in as our 3rd big. . . .wonderful to think about. We’d have to give up Rondo or something too large to make it happen though. Ugh.
+1
Not to mention the fact that Big Al has great hands and would be on the receiving end of a lot of Rondo’s inside passes off drives to the hoop.
I want to wake up from the bad dream that we lost Game 7, but now we’re on to idle off-season speculation already……damn
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 22, 2010 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
That's two sides of the saem coin
I for one, have no appetite to discuss Game 7, so this is a good substitute.
Interesting...
I would not mind Jefferson, Gomes, Walker and Delonte wearing green again.
All are young and athletic and do not have very expensive contracts.
Jefferson is a good future KG replacement.
Walker & Gomes our good future Pierce replacements
Delonte West is a good future Ray Allen replacement
I would pass on all of the other players though.
I agree....
I did not mean Jefferson, Walker, Gomes and West can replace the big 3 talent wise.
I just meant those players can replace the big 3 on the roster if the C’s want to start rebuilding and want to get younger…. which is something I think they need to do.
Still don't know what you mean by "replace"
ANYONE can replace those guys. The issue is how well, and I maintain that none of them are good enough.
I can see some scenarios but really, Wiggle Walker, You can't be serious! LOL
Of this list, I would only consider Ryan Gomes & Bill Walker seriously.
Gomes because he is a fundamentally sound player, he is a hustler, would know his role and embrace it and has a nice in between game.
Bill Walker because he actually had some good games in NY and he has fresh, young legs.
Al Jeff would be nice, but I’m not sold on him being that his latest injury really made him look like a completely different player. But you never know! Same with D West, he could be a solid backup but his off the court antics will not be tolerated here in Boston.
Antoine Walker, you just put that up there for us to laugh right? Sorry Toine, that window has closed and I do not want Ainge to open it! Not that I’m worried he will, Danny is too smart for that!
Delonte???
You do understand the guy has some serious problems. The Celts are so lucky he is someone else’s baggage. Wow!
Bill Walker….yes. Wish he wasn’t part of deal. Knicks saw something, got something
I love Eddie but Nate has more upside.
Big Al…sure. But McHale is gone. Not likely Minny will keep making mistakes.
Ryan Gomes….the opposite of Delonte so, sure But Bill Walker would be my first pick.
Antoine Walker??? You gotta be kidding.
The only real productive player without a personality issue is Al Jefferson.
Speaking of whom
I’ve heard it said Shaq should be signed by the C’s and try to keep the starting 5 intact.
I thought Walker & Gidddens were great draft picks
to a team that needed to develop young talent to augment the stars on their team while also preparing for the future. Being as that the trade for Robinson also included House, I’m not sure how much I’ve ever really liked the trade. I know Donkey played well during the playoffs but the pieces exchanged for him I think the cost could be debated. There is something to be said for winning now as that’s what the game is all about, but there is something else to be said for building for the future and trying to stay competitive every year. Not just in 3-4 year windows. I’m really interested to see how you guys use the 19th pick in this draft and how it’s going to help this team next season.
D.J. #56 - Pay The Man & Play The Man
by KansasCityShuffle on Jun 22, 2010 11:07 AM EDT reply actions
Were those 4 votes a joke?
I see that 4 people voted for Antoine Walker, I hope those were joke votes. He is old, fat and out of shape. Additionally, he now has an arrest record and seems to have deep personal issues. I can’t think of any good reason to bring him here other than to set a record for the oldest team in the NBA.
EDDIE!!
Bring back eddie. seriously.. he sparked the bench, created rally’s and was always someone you could trust on the floor with his hustle. Nate was very inconsistent.. we dont need him to be PG, just a SG.
although highly unlikely
the two former celtics id want back most are al jefferson and joe johnson
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!
"…traded as many times this summer as a bad hooker’s phone number at a Vegas convention of Proctologists ."
by remembering9ergods on Jun 22, 2010 2:34 PM EDT reply actions
'sheed
sheed is probaly gonna retire so i doubt any team would look to take sheed in a sign and trade
bring back the show .
i agree powe should have never left and cleveland will dump him once lebron bolts bring back powe try and get david lee and if mchale becomes the coach if doc go,s big al might be a celtic again .
lohaus #54
joe johnson
if and only if ray would take a big pay cut, paul would restructure his contract and joe johnson would not ask for a max contract cuz he is not worth that…i would sign him for somewhere about 9 to 10 mil for 5 yrs.
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