1. Corey Magette did not wait long as free agency began at 12 a.m. EST Wednesday, singing a reported 5-year, $50-million deal with….the Golden State Warriors?!?

• So, instead of taking full mid-level exception offers from contenders who are over the cap (like the Celtics, Spurs, Cavs, Pistons, etc.), Maggette looked to cash in with a young and talented team that now has a gigantic hole at point guard (with Baron Davis gone).
• What will the Celtics do now? James Posey? Well…you’ll have to read on to find out!
• For you folks looking for a steal in the middle rounds of your Fantasy draft next year, pick Corey Maggette because if he can stay healthy, he is a lock for 25 points per game in Golden State.

2. James Posey is now officially a free agent and can sign anywhere without giving the Celtics a chance to match an offer.

• The Celtics have denied it, but NBA sources confirmed to Marc Spears of the Boston Globe that the C’s offered Posey a 3-year, $12-million deal. Sources confirmed that now with Maggette off the market, the Celtics have improved their offer by perhaps adding a fourth year.
• It is imperative that the Celtics sign Posey. They desperately need his defensive presence off the bench, especially considering the Celts aren’t interested in re-signing Tony Allen.

3. The next Tracy McGrady is back on an NBA roster, signing a one-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks.

• Of course, I’m talking about Gerald Green here, who drew comparisons to Tracy McGrady when he was drafted in the first round of the 2005 draft by the Celtics.
• Green is a great three-point shooter (career 36.6%) but can’t play defense and has to learn to play smarter. He has an all-star skill set but the basketball-IQ of a third grader, which surely makes for an interesting combination.

4. According to Yahoo! Sports, the Celtics are still searching for a big man this summer, working out Patrick O’Bryant.

• I’d be perfectly happy if the Celtics could just convince P.J. Brown to avoid retiring…especially after looking at the list of big men to replace Brown and Scot Pollard: Chris Andersen, David Harrison, O’Bryant, and Kirk Snyder.
• Of that bunch, I’m familiar with Andersen but primarily because he once was a drug abuser. I’m not very familiar with O’Bryant or Harrison, except to say that they’re both young 7-footers and would be welcome at the bottom of my NBA roster (if I were GM).
• On a little side note…Snyder is 6’6″ and is just another swingman to add to the mix…so I don’t see how Snyder fits into the mix of big men Yahoo mentioned.
• My suggestion for a big man: why not look at veteran center Jamaal Magloire? He’s only 30 and is capable of rebounding and blocking shots. Take a look Danny!

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© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Top Story.

After beating up the Hornets 112-92, the Celtics proved that they can beat any team anytime, anywhere. They accumulated yet another 20-point victory, and are now a perfect 20-0 in 20-point games. There’s only one question I can draw from this game: Can any team in the NBA beat the Celtics in a 7-game series?

Only time will tell, I guess. In my mind, they do have the best shot to go all the way, and Paul Pierce is a big reason for that. The captain really poured in an all-star effort in tonight’s game: 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists. He shot 7-11 from the field and a perfect 13-13 from the FT line. Pretty impressive stuff.

I love watching the battle between Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo. The statistical comparison outside the matchup is no contest: Paul is an MVP candidate and Rondo is an up-and-coming (but not all there) player. But when they square off one-on-one, it’s a dead heat. In 2 games against the Hornets (usually matched up against Paul), Rondo has scored 40 points with 11 assists. Conversely, Paul has 41 points and 17 assists in 2 games against the Celts. This should be fun to watch for many years.

It was nice to see the return of the Birdman, Chris Andersen, who was out of the NBA for 2 years and 2 months due to various drug and alcohol violations. He originally made his return Tuesday against the Pacers, but this was his first meeting with the Celts in years. Painted with tattoos all over him, Andersen finished with 2 blocks. Not bad.

Next up for the C’s is a much easier opponent: the woeful Miami Heat. Better yet, the game is in Boston on Sunday. The Celtics will have a day’s rest, and as a result the Heat have no chance.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Celtics.