Indazone
02-21-2009, 12:35 PM
I hope the Celtics do a big Fail here. That being said, here are the best players available through free agency.
The Celtics still have options in free agency
February 20, 3:09 AM
by Mark Fuery, Boston Sports Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-1701-Boston-Sports-Examiner)
http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/antoine.jpeg
Photo courtesy of Celtics Examiner John Karalis (http://www.examiner.com/x-1468-Boston-Celtics-Examiner).
Wednesday’s trade deadline came and went without the Celtics making any big moves. In fact, all the Celtics did in the days and hours leading up to the deadline was trade seldom used backups Sam Cassell and Patrick O’Bryant for a pair of second round draft picks in two separate deals.
The Celtics look to be in good position to make a run for a second straight NBA Championship, but at the same time they are clearly not as deep as they were at this time last year.
Since losing James Posey as a free agent tover the summer the Celtics have been looking to find someone to give them a spark off the bench. Tony Allen looked like he would be a solid contributor to the second unit over the stretch run, but now he is out with a hand injury and could miss the rest of the season.
With these problems on the bench, it appears that the Celtics lack the necessary depth for a contender, that is what makes the lack of a move on Wednesday most surprising.
With the deadline now gone, the Celtics will have to look at the free agent list for a veteran presence to give them a deeper bench. At least for now, that list does not include disgruntled Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, who the Celtics are rumored to be interested in if Marbury's contract is bought out. If that ugly situation is not resloved, the Celtics will be left to pick from the current crop of unemployed players.
It is no secret that anyone who isn’t playing for anyone right now has some imperfections, but a solid veteran or two can help put a team like the Celtics over the top.
Last year they were able to pick up P.J. Brown, who gave them quality minutes off the bench and quickly became a fan favorite. Brown would be someone who can help this team again, but by most accounts he is retired for good. As recently as All-Star Weekend, Brown has said that he will not be coming back to play this season.
But there are still some players out there who can help the Celtics during their late season push. Here are just a few interesting names worth looking at.
Bonzi Wells: Wells has been a solid player at every stop he has made in his NBA career despite some off-court trouble. He is a solid rebounder and plays good defense, and can also give the team an offensive boost off the bench.
Wells spent the first half of the season playing for Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association instead of playing in the NBA for a contract near the league minimum. Earlier this month Wells was released from his contract after he failed to return to the team promptly after the Chinese New Year break.
Wells will undoubtedly be looking to revive his career after being released from a team abroad and would hopefully be on his best behavior since it could be his last chance. He isn’t a long term answer, but he is worth looking at for the rest of this season.
Steve Francis: It is no secret that the Celtics could use a solid backup point guard. Obviously, they felt that last year’s mid-season acquisition Sam Cassell wasn’t the answer. Luckily, this year there is another proven veteran available.
The former “Stevie Franchise” is an intriguing option here. The three-time NBA All-Star has been a free agent since having his contract bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies in January.
He is obviously not the same player he was during his first stint with Houston, but he is not completely over the hill either. He will turn 32 over the weekend, which means he could have a few good years left. He hasn’t played since suffering a quadriceps injury that required surgery that caused him to miss the beginning of this season while with Houston, but he should be healthy for the end of the season.
There are question marks with Francis, but the talent is there, and the Celtics could use a talented point guard.
Ruben Patterson: Patterson would be interesting for one simple reason…he drives Kobe Bryant crazy. The self-proclaimed “Kobe Stopper” would be a great addition, especially if we see a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals.
Patterson is a great defensive player who would be an extremely valuable asset in the playoffs, especially in the later rounds where great defense is a necessity.
Patterson can also contribute on the offensive end. He is only two years removed from averaging a career-best 14.7 points-per-game and is a career .517 shooter.
However, like Wells, his personality has been a problem at times. Nuggets coach George Karl said he “wanted to strangle him” after he picked up a technical foul late in a preseason game in October. Patterson was waived soon after.
But his defense makes him at least worth looking at, and if it is only for a couple of months he could be a helpful addition.
Antoine Walker: Yes, that Antoine Walker. The former Celtic captain had his contract bought out by Memphis in December, making him a free agent.
Walker brings up mixed emotions nowadays in Boston, but love him or hate him, no one can deny his great leadership. Boston fans will never forget his inspirational speech during a time out in game three of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals right before the Celtics wiggled their way to the greatest comeback in team history.
Now that Kevin Garnett is the one rallying the troops, Walker could take the “P.J. Brown” role. He is a good rebounder (7.7 RPG/career) and can still score. And as most Boston fans know, he isn’t afraid to take the big shot. They may not want him taking it now, but the playoffs often put teams in a less than ideal position. If the main options are covered on an inbound pass late in the game, Walker is a pretty good third or fourth option.
He hasn’t played at all this season and played sparingly last year because of the youth movements of his respective teams, but he can still contribute in the right situation. Boston is the right situation. He would bring 64 games of playoff experience and contribute solid minutes off the bench. Could 8 = 18 in 2009? We may get a chance to find out.
For more on the Celtics' latest moves, visit our Celtics Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-1468-Boston-Celtics-Examiner).
The Celtics still have options in free agency
February 20, 3:09 AM
by Mark Fuery, Boston Sports Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-1701-Boston-Sports-Examiner)
http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/antoine.jpeg
Photo courtesy of Celtics Examiner John Karalis (http://www.examiner.com/x-1468-Boston-Celtics-Examiner).
Wednesday’s trade deadline came and went without the Celtics making any big moves. In fact, all the Celtics did in the days and hours leading up to the deadline was trade seldom used backups Sam Cassell and Patrick O’Bryant for a pair of second round draft picks in two separate deals.
The Celtics look to be in good position to make a run for a second straight NBA Championship, but at the same time they are clearly not as deep as they were at this time last year.
Since losing James Posey as a free agent tover the summer the Celtics have been looking to find someone to give them a spark off the bench. Tony Allen looked like he would be a solid contributor to the second unit over the stretch run, but now he is out with a hand injury and could miss the rest of the season.
With these problems on the bench, it appears that the Celtics lack the necessary depth for a contender, that is what makes the lack of a move on Wednesday most surprising.
With the deadline now gone, the Celtics will have to look at the free agent list for a veteran presence to give them a deeper bench. At least for now, that list does not include disgruntled Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, who the Celtics are rumored to be interested in if Marbury's contract is bought out. If that ugly situation is not resloved, the Celtics will be left to pick from the current crop of unemployed players.
It is no secret that anyone who isn’t playing for anyone right now has some imperfections, but a solid veteran or two can help put a team like the Celtics over the top.
Last year they were able to pick up P.J. Brown, who gave them quality minutes off the bench and quickly became a fan favorite. Brown would be someone who can help this team again, but by most accounts he is retired for good. As recently as All-Star Weekend, Brown has said that he will not be coming back to play this season.
But there are still some players out there who can help the Celtics during their late season push. Here are just a few interesting names worth looking at.
Bonzi Wells: Wells has been a solid player at every stop he has made in his NBA career despite some off-court trouble. He is a solid rebounder and plays good defense, and can also give the team an offensive boost off the bench.
Wells spent the first half of the season playing for Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association instead of playing in the NBA for a contract near the league minimum. Earlier this month Wells was released from his contract after he failed to return to the team promptly after the Chinese New Year break.
Wells will undoubtedly be looking to revive his career after being released from a team abroad and would hopefully be on his best behavior since it could be his last chance. He isn’t a long term answer, but he is worth looking at for the rest of this season.
Steve Francis: It is no secret that the Celtics could use a solid backup point guard. Obviously, they felt that last year’s mid-season acquisition Sam Cassell wasn’t the answer. Luckily, this year there is another proven veteran available.
The former “Stevie Franchise” is an intriguing option here. The three-time NBA All-Star has been a free agent since having his contract bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies in January.
He is obviously not the same player he was during his first stint with Houston, but he is not completely over the hill either. He will turn 32 over the weekend, which means he could have a few good years left. He hasn’t played since suffering a quadriceps injury that required surgery that caused him to miss the beginning of this season while with Houston, but he should be healthy for the end of the season.
There are question marks with Francis, but the talent is there, and the Celtics could use a talented point guard.
Ruben Patterson: Patterson would be interesting for one simple reason…he drives Kobe Bryant crazy. The self-proclaimed “Kobe Stopper” would be a great addition, especially if we see a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals.
Patterson is a great defensive player who would be an extremely valuable asset in the playoffs, especially in the later rounds where great defense is a necessity.
Patterson can also contribute on the offensive end. He is only two years removed from averaging a career-best 14.7 points-per-game and is a career .517 shooter.
However, like Wells, his personality has been a problem at times. Nuggets coach George Karl said he “wanted to strangle him” after he picked up a technical foul late in a preseason game in October. Patterson was waived soon after.
But his defense makes him at least worth looking at, and if it is only for a couple of months he could be a helpful addition.
Antoine Walker: Yes, that Antoine Walker. The former Celtic captain had his contract bought out by Memphis in December, making him a free agent.
Walker brings up mixed emotions nowadays in Boston, but love him or hate him, no one can deny his great leadership. Boston fans will never forget his inspirational speech during a time out in game three of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals right before the Celtics wiggled their way to the greatest comeback in team history.
Now that Kevin Garnett is the one rallying the troops, Walker could take the “P.J. Brown” role. He is a good rebounder (7.7 RPG/career) and can still score. And as most Boston fans know, he isn’t afraid to take the big shot. They may not want him taking it now, but the playoffs often put teams in a less than ideal position. If the main options are covered on an inbound pass late in the game, Walker is a pretty good third or fourth option.
He hasn’t played at all this season and played sparingly last year because of the youth movements of his respective teams, but he can still contribute in the right situation. Boston is the right situation. He would bring 64 games of playoff experience and contribute solid minutes off the bench. Could 8 = 18 in 2009? We may get a chance to find out.
For more on the Celtics' latest moves, visit our Celtics Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-1468-Boston-Celtics-Examiner).