Bulpett of the Herald reports:
Celtics boss Danny Ainge, however, insists Scalabrine still can play a role, pointing to the run in late January and early February when he filled in for Kevin Garnett.
"I have no intention of cutting Scal," Ainge said. "It’s early. We think Scal can help us. Last year when KG got hurt, Scal started and we were 7-2 in those games. Our team defense was even better. I’m not saying he’s a better defensive player than KG, but we were able to maintain things and play good team defense."
Doc Rivers also appreciates Scalabrine.
"He’s an energy player," the coach said. "He comes off the bench and can play (both forward spots). He’s a veteran. Defensively he makes very good basketball decisions. Offensively he’s got work to do."
There you have it boys and girls. In black and white. Barring some kind of trade, Scal is going to be somewhere on the roster this year.
As Bulpett explains in the column, it isn't so much a matter of the team being unwilling to cut a guy making $6M over the next two years. They simply want to have him on the roster in case they come up with a trade where they'll need to match salaries. Keep in mind that if you combine Scal, Eddie House, and Tony Allen, you get $8.7M in expiring salaries in 2010 without having to ship out Ray Allen. I'm just sayin....
In other news, Darius Miles hasn't really wowed anyone yet, but he might still have some hope to make the roster if the team goes with the Coach Cassell option. Marc Spears reports:
Guard Sam Cassell, who has a guaranteed contract, sat out last night and has played in only one exhibition. When asked if Cassell could be an assistant coach and not a player when the season starts, Rivers said, "I don't know yet. We'll see." The Celtics have 16 players on their roster and must cut one before the season begins. The only player with a non-guaranteed deal is forward Darius Miles
We discussed this at length on Monday. I still think it is our best option.