Garnett to Boston rumor: 3 Studs and Spare Parts
Jul 31st, 2007 by ToddAllen
The rumors of a Kevin Garnett trade for 5, count ‘em, 5 Celtics are making the rounds. It’s a little premature to comment on this, since nothing’s been formally laid out, but if this pans out, Celtics GM Ainge has put a lot of chips on the craps table with this.
You’ve got a 2-year window with the core of KG, Ray Allen and Mr. Celtic, Paul Pierce. Age and contracts are both factors there. However, you’ve got a very nice set of shooting guard, small forward and power forward there. The problem is, what do you have past that? Figure Rajon Rondo (if not part of the deal) is at the point, with Tony Allen possibly filling in as a combo guard… assuming he’s back from that ACL injury. (Its dangerous to count too heavily on someone coming off knee surgery — ask the Knicks.) At center, Kedrick Perkins isn’t exactly inspiring fear, even in the East. Past him, does anybody think Big Baby Davis can get away with playing center in the East? That’s the next biggest body.
But after the trade, you’re basically left with rookies, second year players and Brian Scalabrine who’s shown precious little since leaving the Nets.
There do look to be some open slots on the roster, so let’s not kid around - if this deal is what’s being reported, free agency makes or breaks the C’s play-off penetration. They need a center, they need an experienced point and they need bench. If Ainge can get some of the remaining B-listers out there to sign for veteran’s minimum and try to “win one for Gipper(s),” it’s the East and they have a fighting chance to make it to the finals. If not, and there aren’t any injuries, Boston makes it to the playoffs, but could fade quickly.
As for injuries, check out the Nets of recent vintage when something happens to one of their Big 3. Until we see some semblence of a bench, we’re looking at something similar to the Nets. Are KG, Allen and Pierce better than Kidd, Carter and Jefferson? It’s the Atlantic and that’s a question you want to be asking yourself, along with “Is Krstic or Magloire better than Perkins?”
That’s my reality check on this rumor. Time to sit back, see who really gets traded, and who ends up signing to fill out the roster. One thing’s for sure, the potential for the C’s to be just plain awful in 3-4 years is also there, but they’re going to take their shot now and I wouldn’t begrudge that to anyone involved.
You present a good argument! Now that everything is final in Chowder Town , I looked at the Atlantic and concluded that the only team to get it worse in this trade than Minnesota is Toronto. They worked hard to put a team on the floor that could get in the playoffs over three struggling teams (New York, Boston and Philly). Well New York and Boston, barring injury, will be considerably better than last year. Even New Jersey will see improvement and they beat the Dinos without Magloire and Kristic. Mitchell should have gone when he had the chance. I don’t think Kapono, Baston and Delfino are the answer to what the Celts, Knicks and Nets have going on.
hey listen, Rick T, the raptors are the best team in the atlantic, and let me explain why…they are the only team in the atlantic that actually has a good lineup with a conisitency of talent one thru twelve. They also have a lot of pieces, and role players that play there part and are a great compliment to a star such as chris bosh. The knicks, well lets just say i don’t see them doing too spectacular with the addition of zach randolph a slow unathletic forward out of his prime, and losing a young stud in channing frye that will be a star. The nets are a very talented team 1 thru 5, the other seven I cant comment on. BTW the nets lost the only reasson they beat the raptors in the playoffs Mikki moore to free agency, he was there energy guy who kept rebounding all of vince carters poor shots. The celetics are an automatic contender simply because they have 3 super talents that will carry the load. But one injury, and there out of the picture, because they have no depth. IMO the atlantic standing are like this in April 2008:
1. Celtics (barring no injury)
2. Raptors
3. Nets
4 Knicks
5. Celtics
Garnett has had talented swingmen on his team before [Spreewell & Cassell… Marbury & Rider, etc] & still never been a contender… now, he is older & his teamates are older as well as injury-prone & there is very little depth on his new team… they might make the playoffs BUT they will not be contenders in the improving Eastern Conference as Garnett has never come thru in the clutch… they might not even win the Atlantic w/ Toronto & ‘da Knicks upgrading their squads w/ much more depth !!!
The Wolves weren’t contenders with Spreewell and Cassell? They were a 4th quarter breakdown away from going to the Finals. True, it was just the one year, but that year when they were healthy with Cassell and Sprewell they were legit contenders. I’ll agree that Garnett has never come through in the clutch. He’s simply not a go to guy down the wire. Pierce is the man there, he’s the go to guy in clutch time. He’s come through countless times in the past.
So Raptorfanforlife,
Do the Celtics get to seed twice (1st and 5th) because you have a boner when you think green, or because you had a bad childhood experience in Philly growing up and you refuse to acknowledge it?
Either way, really.