I’m more neutral about how I reflect about this season. It was frustrating all year to watch the injuries pile up and then in the end for the Celtics to lose to the Magic, who I thought was the inferior team. On the other hand, it was great to see some of the developments of the younger guys. Let’s take a look at both sides of the issue.

The Cons

So when anyone tells you that they have good news and bad news they usually start with the bad news, so I figure I will start with the cons (or letdowns) of this past season. The Celts were heavy favorites coming into 2008-09 to win it all again. Despite the loss of James Posey, they were still a force to be reckoned with. However, they did not live up to that expectation.

Injuries throughout the year to Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Brain Scalabrine were very painful to watch, but the most painful of all was the injury to Kevin Garnett. Everyone kept hoping they might see him again at some point and even when he did come back for those few games, Garnett was just not the Garnett of before.

Tony Allen was out for a good chunk of the season with injuries and did not get to develop into the role of the sixth man that he seemed destined for early on. Leon Powe’s injury in the playoffs was just terrible to see happen. Even without Garnett, if Powe was still playing, I am positive that the Celtics would have beaten the Magic.

There were also failures with some of team’s new acquisitions, especially with the ones that would have given them some size. Early on, Darius Miles and Patrick O’Bryant were picked up to give the Celtics some big guys. Neither one of them amounted to anything, with Miles not even making the final cut and O’Bryant fouling his way out of the small amount of playing time he received. Mikki Moore was later added, and really did anyone expect this guy to do much? Sure he was better then O’Bryant, but he was purely brought in as an insurance policy.

So let’s summarize the big letdowns for this year’s Celtics:

• The Celtics were eliminated by an inferior team
• There were injuries left and right throughout the year
• The C’s had a lack of size and failed in their attempts to get more of it

What would have happened with some bigger talent and a healthy team the entire way?

The Pros

The Celtics also had a lot of good things happen this year. They grew much more as a team and we saw the swift development of some of their players. They also have more time to get their health back and be ready to contend again next season.

Eddie House

When the season started, I do not think anyone would have said Eddie House would break a record with the team this year, and sure enough he did. He notched the best three point field goal percentage in a single season for a Celtics player, which is no easy feat. How often does a bench player get great looks at a three pointer? Eddie was able to come into games, and without many good looks, he was still able to nail a record-setting percentage of them.

Ray Allen

Ray Allen, despite his advancing age, had a career year. Say what you will about Ray slumping in the playoffs, which he did, but his numbers for the regular season were great. The amount of games he played in, 79, was the most he had since the 2000-01 season when he played in all 82. He had a career high in free throw percentage at 0.952. He also had matched his career high in field goal percentage from the 2000-01 season with a 0.480. Let’s not forget that most of his stats were also higher than his previous year with the Celtics, and he saved the day for the Celtics on many occasions in typical Ray Allen style. He hit some huge shots for the C’s, including a few clutch threes against those pesky Chicago Bulls in Round 1.

Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins

Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins both had great years. Rondo was even considered by many to be an all-star, and although he was not named to the team, he should definitely be there next year. Rondo improved in nearly every stat category this year as he became one of the premier point guards in the Eastern Conference. Kendrick Perkins also had a great year, improving his rebounding, scoring, and blocking numbers. He has become a force to be reckoned with under the basket and a great defender.

Stephon Marbury

The Celtics also grabbed some talent where most thought it was lost in Stephon Marbury. I expect him to be back next year and a great guy to come in off the bench. He showed some of his old spark at points this season and if he can continue to shake off some of those cobwebs and get back into his old form, he is going to be great off the bench next year.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis

Oh yeah, there is that other guy that really turned heads: Glen “Big Baby” Davis. If you asked me last summer who the team’s biggest star of this postseason would be, I probably would have said Paul Pierce. Yes, Pierce was great as usual, but Glen Davis really turned heads this year. He had a great regular season and helped fill the shoes of Kevin Garnett pretty nicely in the postseason, and those are some pretty big shoes to fill.

Overall, Davis averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the playoffs, but he had some great shots and was an amazing player the entire way. He even hit the game winning shot in game four against the Orlando Magic in quite a dramatic fashion. I truly hope the Celtics match any deal that is offered to Davis this offseason because when he, combined with Leon Powe, comes off the bench for Garnett next year, the Celtics will barley lose anything when they go to the bench.

The Verdict

So was the Celtics season a letdown? Sure it was if you look purely at the end result of the playoff run, but there is so much more that happened this year even without winning a championship. I wanted the Celtics to win more than anybody, but they did not and now I eagerly await next year’s team to take revenge and get back the title they so rightfully deserved this year.

© Geoff for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Top Story.

Miles is still attempting a comeback from major knee surgery. Earlier Friday, it had been widely reported that the Blazers were threatening legal action against any team who would play Miles just to hurt Portland’s financial situation.

Portland team president Larry Miller backed off a bit in a conference call late Friday:

“Our purpose here was not in any way to keep Darius from being able to play,” Miller said. “If he can come back and help a team to win and play at a level on the court that helps the team, we have no problem with that at all.”

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Celtics.

Team Presidents and General Managers,

The Portland Trail Blazers are aware that certain teams may be contemplating signing Darius Miles to a contract for the purpose of adversely impacting the Portland Trail Blazers Salary Cap and tax positions. Such conduct from a team would violate its fiduciary duty as an NBA joint venturer. In addition, persons or entities involved in such conduct may be individually liable to the Portland Trail Blazers for tortuously interfering with the Portland Trail Blazers’ contract rights and perspective economic opportunities.

Please be aware that if a team engages in such conduct, the Portland Trail Blazers will take all necessary steps to safeguard its rights, including, without limitation, litigation.

Miles’ injury was judged to finish his career by an independent medical examiner agreed to by the NBA and Player’s Union.  This allowed the Blazers to have the contract picked up by insurance and removed from the salary cap roll and luxury tax implications.  However, per NBA rules, if Darius Miles appears in 10 games this season, the contract will be re-instated on the Blazers books, causing this consternation.  The contract would be for $9 million this season and next and would put them over the salary cap, triggering luxury tax provisions and hampering their ability to sign free agents in the coming offseasons.

The Celtics had taken a chance on Miles, signing him for the preseason, in which he played in six games.  Recently, the Grizzlies took a chance on him after he served his 10 game suspension for substance abuse and he recorded two more games, pushing the total to eight, and more importantly, leaving the Blazers within two games of the financial woes.  He cleared waivers today after Memphis released him to avoid having to guarantee his contract and it is not clear if the Grizzlies or anyone else are interested in signing him once again.

It seems like the Blazers would have a very difficult case trying to claim another team signed him explicitly to negatively impact them.  He was a talented player who is returning from microfracture surgery, which Amare Stoudemire has come back from.  Other teams can certainly make the case that they wanted to see if he could reclaim some of the form that made him the third overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Clippers. 

An unnamed NBA executive also thinks Miles would have a case to cue the Blazers for blocking his right to work.  In two games with the Grizzlies, Miles played a total of nine minutes, recording two blocks and two rebounds total.  He averages 10.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG over his career, enjoying his best seasons with the Blazers, after spending time with the Clippers and Cavaliers.

© Mike for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Top Story.

Celts GM Danny Ainge had nothing but positive things to say about the 6’9″ 27-year old.

“Darius was a model citizen during his time here in Boston. He showed that he still has a lot of basketball left in him.” Ainge said.

The move now puts the Celtics down to 15 players on the roster and they do not need to cut anyone else before the season opens next Tuesday.

My Take:
It’s too bad Miles couldn’t get ready in time for the season. He was a freak athlete coming out of high school in 2000 but never really got over the hump. In the little action I saw him in a Celtics uniform I did see where his long arms could do well on the defensive side of the ball. It’s celebration time in Portland as the Trail Blazers would have owed Miles around $18 million if he played 10 games this year.

© Jeff Christenbury for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Celtics, Top Story.

Key Departures: James Posey
Key Arrivals: Darius Miles, Bill Walker
The Cast: Darius Miles, Glen Davis, Leon Powe, Bill Walker, Brian Scalabrine

James Posey will surely be missed, but the Celtics did well in grabbing Bill Walker on draft night and are taking a chance with Darius Miles, who has not played in the NBA for the past two seasons.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis is looking to improve on his exciting rookie campaign that saw him be the aggressive big guy under the net. He has been practicing and working out all summer in the Celtics’ practice facilities and will still be a very strong physical presence under the net this season. He will probably still be full of hilarious dives and falls, but he should be a much more serious player this coming season.

Leon Powe has filled in many times at back-up center, along with Davis, but he is technically listed as a forward so here he is found. Powe is another physical presence under the basket due to his ability to dunk the ball very effectively. That’s all well and good, but Powe needs to develop more of mid range shot in order to become an effective multi-faceted player. Overall, I see Powe still being as effective as before as he should see even more minutes in 2008-09.

Miles and Walker are the newcomers to the team and both have been impressive in camp and in the few preseason games thus far. Miles will be great if he can get back to the level of playing he was at two seasons ago. A strong combination of Miles, Walker, and Tony Allen will really fill the hole left by Posey and maybe even then some.

Finally, there is the token white guy in Brian Scalabrine. I have doubts as to whether or not Scal will make the team this year. In the first preseason game out in Amherst, MA, Scal did virtually nothing and caused some bad turnovers that helped lead to the Celtics’ eventual loss. With so much other talent coming to the team, it’s really unclear if they need Scal or not. I personally do not think they do, but that is up to Doc and Danny Ainge to decide.

I will take a look at the bench centers in the next addition of these previews and finish up with the starting five before the regular season opener.

© Geoff for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured.

1. The Celtics officially have held their Media Day, which is an indication that the new season is upon us. New addition Darius Miles is impressing so far in training camp.

• This is a great sign for a no-lose signing. I think Miles could do a lot for this team as a 6th, 7th, or 8th man off the bench. He could fill in valuable minutes for the forwards, if healthy.
• For the moment, the former “Baby KG” says his knees (which have kept him out of 2 straight seasons) are doing just fine, according to the Boston Globe’s Marc J. Spears:

“This is my first training camp in, like, three years. I haven’t played in training camp in so long. I felt good. I tried to stay loose. I’m trying to learn plays real quick. Trying to get things down pat.”

His knees, said Miles, “were no problem. No problem at all. Same ol’ same ol’.”

2. An independent NBA investigation has shut the door on the NBA gambling scandal, saying that Tim Donaghy acted alone and there are no other officials involved. View the report here [pdf].

• Something about this is really fishy. As a journalist, I’m naturally skeptical, but I really do think someone else was involved. While what Donaghy did was disgusting and he should be punished, it annoys me when one guy takes the fall for some/many others. He’s the NBA-equivalent to the White House’s Scooter Libby.
• But, if it’s true that Donaghy acted alone, I’m glad to see the incident over and i’m also glad to know that no games will be fixed in the upcoming season.

3. Kendrick Perkins is still nursing a shoulder injury (sound familiar?) and new signing Patrick O’Bryant could take over the starting duties for the team’s first preseason game next Wednesday against the 76ers.

• O’Bryant is currently practicing with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo, so he’s getting a nice experience with the big boys. O’Bryant has taken on a big role in the absence of P.J. Brown, who served as the team’s backup center towards the end of last season.
• Doc Rivers seems pleased with O’Bryant’s development, according to Yahoo! Sports:

“Patrick gets to play with the starters and that’s never a bad thing for him. Obviously, we’re going to miss James Posey, but losing P.J. Brown concerns me as much. Patrick has a chance to fill that role. We have Leon [Powe] and [Glen Davis], and they don’t have the length but they have other things they can do.”

4. Ray Allen fought his way to an NBA title, and learned during the Finals that his baby son, Walker, has juvenile diabetes, which is a life-threatening but treatable disease. He’s now fighting against his son’s potentially fatal disease.

• Ray Allen has started the “Walk for Walker” to take place this Saturday, October 4 at 9:30 a.m. at the Hatch Shell. It’s a three-mile walk to raise money for a cure for diabetes.
• Allen and wife Shannon released a message through the Boston Globe’s Marc J. Spears:

A resounding THANK YOU~ for your ALL of your support, incredibly generous donations during this shaky economy and most importantly your commitment to the belief that together we can diaBEAThis terrible disease!! Ray and I are in awe of the response we’ve gotten over the past month from all of you, and we are so happy that with your help we are now $20,000 closer to a CURE for diabetes!

• So if you’re doing nothing this Saturday morning (early I know for a weekend day), then head on over to the Hatch Shell for the walk. Hey, you’ll probably be able to meet Ray Allen and it’s all for a great cause, so it’s well worth it.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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

After the Garnett and Allen Trades

Most fans view the signings of Allen and Garnett as the best move of the season for Ainge, but I think there is definitely some other acquistions he made that were important as well. Remember that Ainge traded nearly the entire team away for Allen and Garnett and basically had to form a bench out of nothing for the upcoming season. This was not an easy task, but he combed the free agent market and signed veterans James Posey, Eddie House, and Scot Pollard to start the season.

Acquisitions During the 2007-08 Season

Midway through the season, Ainge acquired two more veteran players in Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown, both for virtually nothing. He constructed a team that went from nothing to everything in just one season. Now Ainge has his sights set on repeating the same success for the upcoming 08-09 season.

2008 NBA Draft

There have already been some great acquisitions this summer for the Celtics. Ainge did well on draft night by grabbing J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker, both whom look to provide more depth and young talent. Personally I see Walker having a big impact if he can stay healthy throughout his career.

Ainge also drafted center Semih Erden out of Turkey. However, Erden will remain in Europe and will probably not have an effect on the team for a long time.

Strong Signings Before 2008-09 Season

Ainge also managed to acquire some more free agent talent and height in Patrick O’Bryant from Golden State, who will become another back-up center to Kendrick Perkins. What is great about O’Bryant is his 7’0″ height. He is now the tallest player on the team.

Darius Miles also signed. If healthy, Miles can be a great ball player like he was in Portland. The risk here is that Miles has not played since the 05-06 season due to injuries. Sam Cassell also appears to be returning to Celtics again for another season and will compete with Gabe Pruitt and Eddie House for the back-up point guard job to Rajon Rondo.

Final Thoughts

I am confident in all of the moves that Ainge is making, because a team can never have too many tools or too much talent. I had my doubts in the past about Ainge especially after he broke up the team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002, but he proved me wrong this past season and so far he has continued to do just that for this upcoming season.

The tough part will be getting the roster down to its final version. Training camp is coming up and we will soon see if Ainge has any more tricks up his sleeve.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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

1. The Celtics officially signed J.R. Giddens, luring him away from a few European teams to sign a guaranteed two-year deal.

• That deal also includes two option years that could be worth up to $5 million. I like the deal for Giddens, and I’m also liking the fact that Ainge picked him at No. 30. Giddens should be a strong defender throughout his career and in a couple years be able to slide in as the sixth or seventh man (first or second off the bench).
• A note to European teams: players will only sign in Europe if they have no chance of much playing time here in the states. Unless the European squads are flashing millions, NBA players are probably not going to sign there. Stop trying to steal talent from the Celtics! (But, I will admit its a fair market, if they have the money and want the player, I don’t blame them for trying).

2. Talk about blast from the past: Darius Miles may step on the court this season for the first time since the 2005-06 season after signing a one-year deal with the Green.

• This really is a no-lose situation for the Celtics. If he’s bad in camp, they can release him and not worry about it. If he’s good, well then he will play and has the capability of being effective.
• He may be a different player after micro-fracture surgery (not many ever are the same except Amare Stoudemire) but I see him as a capable scorer in the NBA.

3. The Celtics were busy this past week with their signings, also inking 2nd round pick Bill Walker to an undisclosed deal.

• Walker is a real wild card. If he’s healthy, they say he has amazing athleticism. He’s an electrifying scorer who is known to play above the rim. If he can jump off his legs with confidence, he could be yet another good second round pick by Ainge.
• Walker could follow in the footsteps of Ryan Gomes, Glen “Big Baby” Davis (traded for him) and Leon Powe as guys that Ainge targeted in the second round who turned out to be solid role players in the NBA.

4. The Redeem Team won the long-awaited Gold Medal on Sunday to close out the Olympics as the best basketball team on Earth. It was their first Gold since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

• The pundits and fans are giving Kobe Bryant all the credit. After all, he wasn’t on the Bronze Medal-winning squad in 2004 and was on this Gold Medal-winning team in Beijing. But, he had a lot of help.
• Gone are punks like Allen Iverson and players that don’t seem to care like Tim Duncan. Enter players that seemed focused on winning the Gold: LeBron James, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade. The lineup they threw out there night in and night out could seriously have given the original Dream Team a run for their money (well, maybe not).
• I will say that the talent level worldwide now is much better than it was in 1992 when Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Karl Malone and co. dominated the Olympic games. So, I tip my cap to the Redeem Team. My only question for them now is what are they going to call their team in 2012?

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

At 26, Miles is coming off a devastating knee injury and has not played in an NBA game since the 2005-06 season.

He was taken with the No. 3 pick in 2000 by the LA Clippers, but has not really lived up to his potential.

It’s also been reported that whenever he resumes his NBA career, he’s facing a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Despite the signing, there’s no guarantee he even makes the team. No guaranteed roster spot may motivate him to play hard during the summer and preseason.

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