Michael Finley to sign with the Celtics

[adidas11]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35713051/ns/sports-player_news/

[z0sa]

:lol

[Juanobili]

man THAT team is old.. haha

[Truckules]

Celtics are now the Spurs. When's Doc gonna start playing Nate Robinson at PF?

[BadOne]

Wow, I didn't know Ray Allen was the oldest out of their big 3. Fin should fit right in.

[Buddy Holly]

Michael Finley to sign with the Celtics



http://www.gifbin.com/bin/052009/1243271414_black_guy_laughing.gif

[Cane]

I thought he wanted to join a contender. /rimshot

[lennyalderette]

man he thinks hes going to get playing time??

[lennyalderette]

what an old fart he just increased their avrg age to 40

[bobby4germany]

I can't wait to see what kind of contract he will receive!

[The Truth #6]

This will be interesting.

[thOOdee]

the celtics will probably use him right. ala LIMITED MINUTES

[TIMMYD!]

I'm anxious to see how they'll utilize him.

[greyforest]

the celtics will probably use him right. ala LIMITED MINUTES

he'll get butthurt again then

[bdictjames]

Wow, some of the responses on this board are nauseating.

Don't they see that the Celtics still have a better chance than the Spurs at winning the ring.

[murpjf88]

Out of sight, out of mind.

[murpjf88]

The spurs will miss his 3-point shot come playoff time.

[Sobe_Kucks]

After his man blows right by him and he klangs a few 3's off the rim, he'll be at a familiar spot on the bench making it a nice and 98.6 deg. toasty warm. Good on ya Fin! I'm just glad I'll never have to #$*& about him being in the starting line up again.

[Buddy Holly]

The spurs will miss his 3-point shot come playoff time.

Dude, Finley will miss his 3-point shot come playoff time.

[Muser]

Wow, some of the responses on this board are nauseating.

Don't they see that the Celtics still have a better chance than the Spurs at winning the ring.

Not really, KG is breaking down bit by bit.

[phyzik]

One less contender to worry about if they give him his desired minutes.

[Wombatzu]

Wow, some of the responses on this board are nauseating.

Don't they see that the Celtics still have a better chance than the Spurs at winning the ring.

nah. Spurs to Celtics is the first lateral movement that Finley has done all season...

[bostonguy]

I am excited. Finley just wasn't being used right with the Spurs. In Boston, he will be rejuvenated and prove he has plenty left in the tank. He can still slash to the basket and shoot. He just wasn't used right in Pop's system.

Rondo/Allen/Pierce/KG/Perkins
Bench:Robinson/Finley/Daniels/Sheed/Davis.

:lobt2::lobt2::lobt2:

[Muser]

I am excited. Finley just wasn't being used right with the Spurs. In Boston, he will be rejuvenated and prove he has plenty left in the tank. He can still slash to the basket and shoot. He just wasn't used right in Pop's system.

Rondo/Allen/Pierce/KG/Perkins
Bench:Robinson/Finley/Daniels/Sheed/Davis.

:lobt2::lobt2::lobt2:

Sarcasm?

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

I am excited. Finley just wasn't being used right with the Spurs. In Boston, he will be rejuvenated and prove he has plenty left in the tank. He can still slash to the basket and shoot. He just wasn't used right in Pop's system.

Rondo/Allen/Pierce/KG/Perkins
Bench:Robinson/Finley/Daniels/Sheed/Davis.

:lobt2::lobt2::lobt2:

:toast he for sure will fit right in

[lefty]

Sarcasm?
I don`t think he is kidding

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Dude, Finley will miss his 3-point shot come playoff time.

:lol

[SsKSpurs21]

Another Link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=4966307

[HarlemHeat37]

He gives them an alternative to Tony Allen..he shouldn't play more than 5-7MPG if the Celtics are smart..they'll have Daniels guarding wings on the 2nd unit, so I guess he wouldn't be as big of a liability..

I'll give Finley the benefit of the doubt and say he's still a good NBA-level shooter, but he's no longer an NBA player in any other aspect of the game..he can no longer handle the ball, he can't make shots off the dribble anymore, he can't pass or rebound and he's a huge defensive liability..

I understand picking up a guy like that for a veteran presence(even though Boston is old as fuck already), but Finley expects to play, so they're going to end up overplaying him IMO..

[benefactor]

:lol


man THAT team is old.. haha




http://www.gifbin.com/bin/052009/1243271414_black_guy_laughing.gif


Dude, Finley will miss his 3-point shot come playoff time.


:lol
http://arsjerm.net/misc/roflCopter2.gif

[bostonguy]

Sarcasm?

Was it that obvious? :lol

[bostonguy]

He gives them an alternative to Tony Allen..he shouldn't play more than 5-7MPG if the Celtics are smart..they'll have Daniels guarding wings on the 2nd unit, so I guess he wouldn't be as big of a liability..

I'll give Finley the benefit of the doubt and say he's still a good NBA-level shooter, but he's no longer an NBA player in any other aspect of the game..he can no longer handle the ball, he can't make shots off the dribble anymore, he can't pass or rebound and he's a huge defensive liability..

I understand picking up a guy like that for a veteran presence(even though Boston is old as fuck already), but Finley expects to play, so they're going to end up overplaying him IMO..

I hope Finley guards Lebron for long stretches to prove people wrong about his defense.

[slick'81]

all aboard the gravy train choo choo

[Stringer_Bell]

So Finley thinks he has a better chance of winning a ring on an equally old team, AND cracking the a 10 man rotation, AND getting decent minutes?

Findawg should have saved everyone the trouble and just not picked up his option...didn't Pop start him at the beginning of the season? Ingrate. :(

[TFloss32]

I am excited. Finley just wasn't being used right with the Spurs. In Boston, he will be rejuvenated and prove he has plenty left in the tank. He can still slash to the basket and shoot.

I don't think Fin has dunked since the 2006 Playoffs.

[mountainballer]

I am excited. Finley just wasn't being used right with the Spurs. In Boston, he will be rejuvenated and prove he has plenty left in the tank. He can still slash to the basket and shoot. He just wasn't used right in Pop's system.

slash to the basket? yeah sure. and what do you expect him to do once he is there? unpack his pocket trampoline?
btw. he in fact wasn't used right. because he was used.

[Blackjack]

Apparently SA's got an abundance of pornstar exports; Boston would have been better off going that route.

[anonoftheinternets]

slash to the basket? yeah sure. and what do you expect him to do once he is there? unpack his pocket trampoline?
btw. he in fact wasn't used right. because he was used.

sarcasm meter ... broke .. :(

[mountainballer]

Apparently SA's got an abundance of pornstar exports; Boston would have been better off going that route.

???George Hill??

[tmtcsc]

The spurs will miss his 3-point shot come playoff time.

Not as much as Roger Mason will miss his. /rimshot

[Bruno]

Finley is a good fit for Celtics. Their backup wings (Tony Allen and Marquis Daniels) are really bad shooters.
I don't expect something great but he could be useful as a spot ut shooter playing limited minutes.

[AussieFanKurt]

if he can't get minutes on spurs, how does he expect minutes on a contender like the C's

[spursbird]

:lol:lmao:rollin:toast

[TD 21]

Clearly, this wasn't about more playing time at all (since Finley is likely to be in the same role with the Celtics he was in with the Spurs, which is the eleventh man), this was solely about Finley sensing the ship was sinking and wanting to go to a team he deemed a title contender. Only he's apparently not up on what's happened in the league this season because if he was, he wouldn't consider the Celtics much more (any more?) likely than the Spurs to win a championship. That team is fading by the game.

Classic example of a player being the last one to find out that he's finished. The Spurs having Finley in the role he was in last season (in addition to what he used to be in the league in his prime) contribute heavily to this mindset.

Finley's a good fit with the Celtics because he's their only (save for the minimal and unproven Landry) SF sized player not named Pierce and he's a better shooter than Daniels and Allen, but he's a bad fit because he's yet another old man who can't move, provide any energy (which an old team like that desperately needs) and is completely one dimensional.

[baseline bum]

Finley will make a good PF for them when KG's knee goes out again.

[HarlemHeat37]

Apparently the plan is for Finley to take a lot of Tony Allen's minutes, so he might actually get the PT he wants..

It really does look like the Spurs were going to be done with him anyways..Sean Elliott said that Pop wants to play Hairston down the stretch and that was part of the reason they didn't want to cooperate with Finley's request for more PT..so it kind of makes sense..

[4down]

nah. Spurs to Celtics is the first lateral movement that Finley has done all season...


:lol

[024]

finley will hit the game winning three against the cavs during game five of the ECF. i will bump this thread when it happens.

[G-Nob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6hActNw_F4

[mavsluva]

If Finley doesn't hit his first few shots, then you have to take him out of the game. Because what else are you going to get from him?

[duncan228]

Finley headed to Boston (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2010/03/finley_headed_t.html)
by Gary Washburn
Globe Staff

Henry Thomas, the agent for Michael Finley, confirmed Thursday afternoon that his client is signing a contract with the Celtics for the remainder of the season and will report to practice Saturday with his new team.

Finley, who turns 37 Saturday, was released from the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at his request and the Celtics contacted Thomas this week to show their interest. Finley averaged 3.7 points this season in an injury-plagued final year with the Spurs.

"The opportunity to earn minutes in the rotation," Thomas said. "And the chance to seek a ring and the chance to play for Doc (Rivers) and with (Kevin Garnett) and some of the other guys. All of those things made Boston attractive."

Finley suffered a badly sprained left ankle early this season and was limited to 25 games for the Spurs. When he returned from injury, he was out of the San Antonio rotation and requested to be waived. General manager and coach Gregg Popovich reluctantly agreed.

"It was difficult in the sense that he grew very fond of the organization," Thomas said. "It was an organization where he won his first and only ring. He has nothing but respect for his time there. This was a rather sudden thing for him."

Finley has piled up more than 17,000 points since entering the league with Phoenix in 1995 out of Wisconsin. He played 9 1/2 seasons in Dallas before signing with the Spurs after the Mavericks bought out his contract. He is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter ,but that number dropped to 31.7 percent this season.

"He is very excited about playing with the guys on the team," Thomas said. "He still thinks he has the ability to contribute some things on the court and provide the things to the team that they need to get another ring."

Thomas said Finley is completely healthy and could be in action Sunday against the Washington Wizards.

[blkroadrunners]

http://arsjerm.net/misc/roflCopter2.gif


:lmao

[EmptyMan]

http://www.gifbin.com/bin/052009/1243271414_black_guy_laughing.gif


:lol

[exstatic]

Wow, some of the responses on this board are nauseating.

Don't they see that the Celtics still have a better chance than the Spurs at winning the ring.

No they don't. As illustrated by the complex math problem below, our chances are the same.

0 = 0

[exstatic]

The spurs will miss his 3-point shot come playoff time.

I think the Spurs have been missing his 3 point shot all year.

[SenorSpur]

I'll give Finley the benefit of the doubt and say he's still a good NBA-level shooter, but he's no longer an NBA player in any other aspect of the game..he can no longer handle the ball, he can't make shots off the dribble anymore, he can't pass or rebound and he's a huge defensive liability..

He had those flaws the day he joined the Spurs. He's just gotten progressively worse. :lol

[baseline bum]

Does anyone think the 2010 Celtics look like the 2009 Spurs?

- HOF PF playing at 50% due to late season nagging injuries? Check
- All-star swingman whose body is breaking down? Check
- Young PG having to carry the entire load every night? Check

Finley just completes it all. It's going to be an ugly end this year for Boston.

[TD 21]

Apparently the plan is for Finley to take a lot of Tony Allen's minutes, so he might actually get the PT he wants..

It really does look like the Spurs were going to be done with him anyways..Sean Elliott said that Pop wants to play Hairston down the stretch and that was part of the reason they didn't want to cooperate with Finley's request for more PT..so it kind of makes sense..

Interesting. The Celtics lost three point shooting in House, but Robinson can make the three, in addition to Allen, Pierce and Wallace and their defense, which is what they pride themselves on, is already slipping, so I'm a bit surprised that they'll go with Finley over Allen.

Now, the Celtics will be worse defensively and have less athleticism and speed/quickness, than they already do. Eventually, when they're locked in a second round playoff series with the Cavs, they'll need Allen to be the secondary defender on James and this is when Finley will fall out of the rotation because there's no room for eleven players to play at that point. The Spurs had this problem and I'm glad it's been cleared up. Sure, the Spurs rotation is not without it's issues, but at least it's clearly defined now.This is exactly the type of thing that creates tension in the locker room. Having a bunch of veterans who are used to being in the rotation and either have their role changed, minutes limited, or are cut out of the rotation entirely.

Yeah right. I don't see how Hairston gets any meaningful playing time down the stretch. This team already is laboring to make three's, so when Pop goes beyond the top eight and needs another perimeter player, I doubt he'll go with Hairston over Mason.


Does anyone think the 2010 Celtics look like the 2009 Spurs?

- HOF PF playing at 50% due to late season nagging injuries? Check
- All-star swingman whose body is breaking down? Check
- Young PG having to carry the entire load every night? Check

Finley just completes it all. It's going to be an ugly end this year for Boston.

I've been saying this for a while now, only I think they're more like the '08 Spurs.

- terrible 3rd quarter team
- constantly blowing double digit leads
- still good, but clearly slipping defensively
- go on major scoring droughts because they don't have enough players who can create offense or put up big numbers

[silverblackfan]

Well, good luck to Finley and the Celts. I think they will need it.
Glad Finley is not available to mess up the rotations. He's a pro and did some good things for the Spurs, but was clogging up the works here.

[Dex]

I think the Spurs have been missing his 3 point shot all year.

In all fairness, Finley has been missing his 3 point shot all year as well.

[ElNono]

http://www.gifbin.com/bin/1237977238_pineapple-express-laughing.gif

[Flux451]

Boston is looking for any help they can get. Their downfall started with not keeping Posey. Then they lost Powe and House. Adding Daniels, Robinson and possibly Fin doesn't make up for what they lost.

[angelbelow]

good for them

[8FOR!3]

if he can't get minutes on spurs, how does he expect minutes on a contender like the C's

I don't think he'll get any more minutes or anything, but have you watched a Celtics game this year? Those guys are no more of contenders than we are.

[Mr. Body]

Dropkick Murphys, "Shipping Up to Boston"

[loveforthegame]

They've been playing Scalabrine at sf at times. That should tell you something about how much they were wanting some sf help.

Looking at some of the Boston boards they seem to like the signing if he's used properly. Some are not crazy about it but agree he was the best of what was available.

If Allen and Scalabrine are the odd men out and Finley strictly plays as Pierce's backup then he could get 10-15 minutes a night easily. Some nights maybe he gets more and some nights less depending on the situation.

[Baseline]

I can't stand Finley, and feel that he's been stealing money from the Spurs since the 2007 title. However, his self-ejection from the Spurs is an indictment of Pop as well.

Nobody loved Finley more than Pop, yet Finley bailed on him. Finley has been around...he knows a sinking ship when he sees one, and Pop's caoching is taking the Spurs down no matter how much dead weight we can throw over the edge.

[spurs10]

I don't see how Finley's departure is "an indictment of Pop". Apparently, he wanted to leave because Pop had the good sense not to play him. Pop had indeed faced the facts and had few , if any, minutes for Finley. Hopefully his less than gracious farewell will be a little extra motivation for the Spurs to come at Boston hard when we play down the road. Hopefully they'll put him on Manu or RJ!

[JR3]

If Finley doesn't hit his first few shots, then you have to take him out of the game. Because what else are you going to get from him?

I say the same thing about bonner. I'm glad we have one less of this type of player on our team now. Good luck fin, but this was a fail move for you.

[JR3]

Why are some people so in love with his 3 point shot? He is more of a 3 point play waiting to happen....for the other team!

[Supergirl]

Finley played some of his best ball as a Spur. He was never the scorer, but we never asked him to be. Pop had him playing decent defense for a lot of the time.

But he's 37, he's slow and can't get back on defense at all anymore, and he's really only better as a spot up 3 point shooter at this point, a la Barry or Kerr. But he didn't want that kind of role, and wasn't hitting his shots anyway.

He could have that role for the C's, but he's not gonna get more than 10 min a game tops, so I predict he will be unhappy very soon.

[Ryvin1]

Yes! I thought the Celtics could use a backup 4.

[Danny.Zhu]

Well, Michael made the right decision.

Celtics do have a bigger chance to win the championship than the Spurs right now.

[ShoogarBear]

So Finley thinks he has a better chance of winning a ring on an equally old team, AND cracking the a 10 man rotation, AND getting decent minutes?


Anyyyyyythingggg issssssss possssssible!

[jjktkk]

Does anyone think the 2010 Celtics look like the 2009 Spurs?

- HOF PF playing at 50% due to late season nagging injuries? Check
- All-star swingman whose body is breaking down? Check
- Young PG having to carry the entire load every night? Check

Finley just completes it all. It's going to be an ugly end this year for Boston.

Rumor has it that Pop is Danny Ainge's Chief Basketball Advisor. :downspin:

[The Truth #6]

Anyyyyyythingggg issssssss possssssible!

That was good.

[Budkin]

LOL the Spurs don't look so old anymore.

[FeZZy]

:lmao hahha

[baseline bum]

Well, Michael made the right decision.

Celtics do have a bigger chance to win the championship than the Spurs right now.

I really don't think they do. Garnett looks like a shell of his former self. The athleticism just looks gone when I see him now. Their record is more a function of the conference they play in as opposed to them being a better team than the Spurs.

[timtonymanu]

Well, Michael made the right decision.

Celtics do have a bigger chance to win the championship than the Spurs right now.

Celtics do have a better chance winning the title than the Spurs but that's not saying much. Like someone mentioned, the Celtics look like the 08-09 Spurs. Cleveland and Orlando would beat Boston in a 7 game series.

[Muser]

Celtics do have a better chance winning the title than the Spurs but that's not saying much. Like someone mentioned, the Celtics look like the 08-09 Spurs. Cleveland and Orlando would beat Boston in a 7 game series.

So would Atlanta.

[Dex]

At least Boston has taken over the title as the new Geriatrics Club of the NBA.

[sonic21]

Wow....this team would be unstoppable probably 3 years ago.

[ManuTastic]

nah. Spurs to Celtics is the first lateral movement that Finley has done all season...

:toast

[galvatron3000]

Michael Finley to sign with the Celtics





http://www.gifbin.com/bin/052009/1243271414_black_guy_laughing.gif

Co-Sign:toast

[Strike]

The spurs will miss his 3-point shot come playoff time.

Maybe. But one thing they won't miss is his horrible defense.


I hope Finley guards Lebron for long stretches to prove people wrong about his defense.

Uhh, ok. He will prove to everyone that is defense isn't horrible. It's shockingly horrible.

[biba]

Things apparently soured for Finley in San Antonio, where he was averaging 3.7 points in 15.8 minutes. According to San Antonio sources, Finley’s request for a buyout was met with some displeasure, but the team chose to honor his wishes anyway. .......


Celtics finally fit in Michael Finley

Sign swingman to add spark off bench

By Steve Bulpett and Mark Murphy
Friday, March 5, 2010 - Updated 8h ago

http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1237300&srvc=home&position=active


The Celtics got their man - finally - when Michael Finley formally agreed yesterday to sign with the club as a free agent.

The Celts have tried to acquire the 6-foot-7 swingman in the past, and their latest opportunity came Wednesday after Finley cleared waivers following his buyout by San Antonio.

According to Finley’s representative, the process moved swiftly after that.

“It didn’t take long,” said Henry Thomas, who added that Finley will join the Celtics tomorrow. “There were several contending teams, but Boston was the most interested.

“They had a situation where Michael feels he can really earn a role. They told me they liked his ability to shoot and defend - the same role as he’s had in San Antonio for all these years.

“He’s a seasoned vet, and he brings all of these things to a very good team.”

Finley, who will turn 37 tomorrow, will get a pro-rated portion of the veteran’s minimum based on the number of days left in the season. As it stands, he will receive about $300,000 from the Celtics.

While there was word this has been brewing for a while as the buyout deadline approached, Thomas confirmed yesterday the Celts were never far from his client’s mind.

“A couple of years ago, before Michael re-signed with San Antonio, there was mutual interest between Michael and Boston,” Thomas said. “So what’s going on there has always interested Michael.”

Things apparently soured for Finley in San Antonio, where he was averaging 3.7 points in 15.8 minutes. According to San Antonio sources, Finley’s request for a buyout was met with some displeasure, but the team chose to honor his wishes anyway.

Finley had struggled a bit as he came back from an injury, and there were no assurances he would have a role with the Spurs.

“It’s good for Michael now, because he found himself for the first time after all these years out of (the San Antonio) rotation,” Thomas said. “Even at the start of this season he was in the rotation, but then he suffered an ankle injury, and he missed time for the first time in four years.

“It was kind of abrupt for him, and it was something he wasn’t prepared for. Some guys get into their later years and are able to accept that, but Michael wasn’t willing to settle for that.”

Finley has a supporter in Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who attended the same Chicago high school (Proviso East), and he definitely will get a chance to prove he can still hit the outside shot and open the floor.

The Celtics bench, however, with newcomer Nate Robinson, has performed well the last two games, so it will be interesting to see if Finley can fit in seamlessly.

[FeZZy]

we should a traded him for a secound rounder haha

[biba]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2010/03/05/celtics_bring_in_finley/


“I think the Spurs understood at the time not really being in the mix for the first time in his 15-year career,’’ Thomas [Finley's agent] said. “They were very understanding of his situation and the fact he felt he still could contribute. [Not playing] was a difficult thing for him to handle.

[FeZZy]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2010/03/05/celtics_bring_in_finley/


“I think the Spurs understood at the time not really being in the mix for the first time in his 15-year career,’’ Thomas [Finley's agent] said. “They were very understanding of his situation and the fact he felt he still could contribute. [Not playing] was a difficult thing for him to handle.

what a douche fuck that guy

[SenorSpur]

“It’s good for Michael now, because he found himself for the first time after all these years out of (the San Antonio) rotation,” Thomas said. “Even at the start of this season he was in the rotation, but then he suffered an ankle injury, and he missed time for the first time in four years.

“It was kind of abrupt for him, and it was something he wasn’t prepared for. Some guys get into their later years and are able to accept that, but Michael wasn’t willing to settle for that.”

Something he wasn't prepared for? GMAFB!

He found himself out of the rotation because he didn't deserve to be in the rotation. He shouldn't act so shocked at how things developed. After all, he watched, last season, as Bowen's minutes and spot in the rotation were sacrificed for him.

[jcrod]

They told me they liked his ability to shoot and defend - the same role as he’s had in San Antonio for all these years.

Really?

[DaBears]

Who the hell cares where he signs, he's not with the spurs anymore so move on, there is plenty of dead weight on this team currently that we should be worring about...

If anything with him leaving it salitifies the rost and rotation... A slong as the POP doesnt jack that up anymore than he already has...

[Agloco]

I'm anxious to see how they'll utilize him.

At the four of course.

[Spurs Brazil]

“They had a situation where Michael feels he can really earn a role. They told me they liked his ability to shoot and defend - the same role as he’s had in San Antonio for all these years.

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

[benefactor]

Really?


:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
:lol

[ulosturedge]

More minutes Fin gets the better chance Boston has of losing lol. Have fun Boston!

[The Truth #6]

I assume Finley will continue to suck, but will Rivers play him? I'm curious to see how this plays out.

[Leftyventricle]

Doc: Finley 'has basketball left in him'
By Chris Forsberg

Celtics coach Doc Rivers doesn't profess to know exactly how Michael Finley fits into the Celtics' plans moving forward, but he's confident there's enough left in the tank to help Boston achieve its championship goals.


AP Photo
The Celtics don't have a plan for Michael Finley, but they know he can help.
"I think he has basketball left in him," Rivers said after the team's morning shootaround Friday in Philadephia. "What he can give us and how it fits, we'll figure it out as we go."

Rivers indicated that Finley, who turns 37 Saturday, will practice with the team for the first time on his birthday, then could play in Sunday's game against the Washington Wizards. Boston visits the 76ers Friday night.

After requesting and receiving a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week, Finley agreed to sign with the Celtics Thursday for the prorated veteran's minimum of $1.1 million.

Finley's stats have dipped dramatically this season (3.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists over 15.8 minutes per game), but he's regarded as one of the best locker-room presences in the league, and he boasts 111 games of playoff experience, winning a championship with the Spurs in 2007.

"He's got high character," said Rivers. "He's another shooter. We don't know where we're going to fit him in, but adding a veteran can never hurt. Adding a guy who can make open shots can never hurt. Adding a guy who's been through the wars can never hurt. That's how we looked at it."

A two-time All-Star, Finley will find himself behind Paul Pierce and Marquis Daniels at the small forward position, but his presence might allow the Celtics some flexibility with Daniels, who can play either guard spot or small forward. In a season in which both Pierce and Daniels have been nagged by injuries, Finley also provides insurance should the injury bug not fly far from the Celtics.

"He's a veteran who can spread the floor and shoot pretty well," said Pierce. "He brings a lot of experience. He's a veteran who has been around the block a few times. I'm sure he'll find his way, and he's played in a lot of big games during his career. He knows how to approach them and play in them. Experience can always help in tight situations."

Materials from the Associated Press were used in this report.

[dbreiden83080]

Has he got enough enthusiasm for KG??

Anything's Possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lennyalderette]

the only thing i can think about is finley not taking up all our young guys minutes in the playoffs this year !!!!! all we have to do is make sure bonner gets help then were good to go for a good run. you guys notice as soon as finley left we started playing alot better??????????

[GhosTown]

Not saying that Finley is the missing piece for the Celtics. But he won't hurt them either. They are a defensive minded team with shot blockers and a lock down perimeter defender in Rondo. Adding Finley is not going to hurt this team defensively.

Having Finley on the floor for the Celtics will never be as bad as having Bonner on the floor for us, regardless of the lineups.

[Muser]

They want him for D? :lmao

[greyforest]

adding a veteran can never hurt. Adding a guy who can make open shots can never hurt. Adding a guy who's been through the wars can never hurt. That's how we looked at it.

except if they suck ass on defense and cost your team points and possibly games

but yeah i guess that would never happen, so it can never hurt.

[SenorSpur]

except if they suck ass on defense and cost your team points and possibly games

but yeah i guess that would never happen, so it can never hurt.

:lol

I never thought I would see another NBA that stockpiles as many old-ass veterans, the way the Spurs do - but VIOLA - here are the Celtics. In fact, they're probably worse.

[benefactor]

Having Finley on the floor for the Celtics will never be as bad as having Bonner on the floor for us, regardless of the lineups.
Bonner>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Finley defensively.

[duncan228]

Michael Finley inactive vs. Wizards (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4975025)
By Chris Forsberg
ESPNBoston.com

BOSTON -- What will Michael Finley's role be with the Boston Celtics?

That's the $1 million question. Or at least the prorated veteran's minimum of $1.1 million question. And neither Finley nor Celtics coach Doc Rivers professed to know the answer Sunday, but both expressed optimism about Boston's recent addition of the veteran swingman.

"I don't know [my role], that's the big question," admitted Finley, who joined his teammates for the first time at Sunday's tilt with the Washington Wizards.

Finley asked for and received a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs last week.

"I just think that I will not hurt anything that [the Celtics] have. This was already a great team without me. I come in, maybe [provide] a little veteran expertise, whether that be on the court or in the locker room -- just doing whatever I can to make this team a better one. But, like I said, this was already a great team before I got here, so I think that my addition is not going to be that big of an impact, if any, but I am just happy and excited to be here.

"Coach [Rivers] was pretty honest with me, which I respect. He doesn't know how he's going to use me. I have to respect that. I'm coming to a situation where, the team is already established. They've put in [60] games of time, so for me to try to establish a role would be crazy to think like that. But coach has put me in a situation at ease, where he doesn't know, I don't know -- when my situation comes, I'll just go out there and play hard and do what I can to help the team be a better one. I think that I am able to do that."

Finley arrived in Boston late Saturday night, underwent a physical, and finalized a free-agent contract to cap his 37th birthday celebration. After a session with Boston's assistant coaches Sunday morning, Finley went through about a half-hour warm-up on the court at the Garden before the Wizards game, but was inactive.

With 12 healthy bodies, including fellow guard Tony Allen, who missed Friday's game at Philadelphia with a sore right hip, Rivers saw no need to rush Finley into action without first getting him acquainted with the system.

"I don't know [when Finley will play], I really don't," said Rivers. "He may play in the Milwaukee game [Tuesday]. We'll wait and see how comfortable he is, how quickly he can do it. It might be the worst month ever [to join midseason], because there's no practice days, we play just about every day. We're just going to figure this one out on the fly."

Finley admitted he had to be patient. But sitting in a suit at the end of Boston's bench Sunday, you have to figure he was fighting the urge to rush to the locker room for a jersey as the Celtics struggled for three-plus quarters against the lowly Wizards.

"I think the biggest adjustment for me is just trying to come in and be perfect right away," said Finley. "In a situation like this, I want to help so badly. I want to do all the perfect things, I put a lot of pressure on myself and that can be detrimental not only to me, but the team as well. I'm just going to try to ease in, ease my role, and just ultimately play basketball."

Finley brings two key attributes: perimeter shooting and veteran experience. With 1,082 career games, he joins Kevin Garnett (1,104), Rasheed Wallace (1,066), and Ray Allen (1,001), making Boston only the third team in NBA history to boast four players with over 1,000 games experience, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

If Boston is to remain healthy down the stretch, Finley's addition could force Rivers to make a tough decision on who to make inactive. While Boston could surely use a shooter like Finley, it means moving an end-of-the-bench presence like Brian Scalabrine or, more likely, Shelden Williams to inactive with 13 bodies in Boston (Marcus Landry, the team's 14th and final player, is on assignment in Maine).

Finley is not only a veteran of 111 playoff games, but regarded as a top locker room presence. He entered the Celtics' clubhouse Sunday and dropped a towel over the head of Marquis Daniels, who he was teammates with in Dallas, and joked, "You're still a rookie to me."

Ultimately, Finley hopes a role will define itself. But he also admitted that there's not guarantee how this will all play out.

"Unfortunately, for me, I couldn't finish something that I had in San Antonio because the role was something that I really didn't agree with," said Finley. "But here, hopefully the situation will be different, but you never know, it may be the same. But I'm happy with my situation now and I'm definitely going to make the most of it."

Finley may not know his role, but here's a few things he did know and expound upon Sunday:

On choosing No. 40: "Well all the good numbers were taken. I was going to go for 33 [Larry Bird], that was gone, 32 [Kevin McHale] was gone, so I decided on 40. I couldn't get 4, I was two weeks too late to get my No. 4 with Nate Robinson coming over, so I just added an imaginary zero to it and made it 40."

On the injured ankle that limited him to 25 games this season: "I'm still doing rehab, it was a severe ankle injury that happened back in December so my rehab will continue for the remainder of this year and probably throughout the summer but I'm very confident in it. I talked to the training staff here, and they're an excellent one that I'm just learning the past couple of days, with that being said, I'm ready to go."

On what went wrong in San Antonio: "This all happened within a week, a week or two span. It was something that started as something little and I think it just erupted. I think both sides, myself and the Spurs organization, there was a mutual split. I have no hard feelings with them, it was just something they were willing to do, and I was man enough to be ready to make that move."

[ElNono]

LOL @ this douche saying the right things now... let's hear from his agent how unhappy he is with his minutes a month from now...

[L.I.T]

Wait...I thought he wanted out so he could play minutes.

Hmmmmmm...seems almost Paytonesque.

[mingus]

Pop inflated Finley's ego by leting him play so much the last year and into this year when he was healthy.

[Avitus1]

Good luck to fin on the Cs...

[Blackjack]

Fin really is coming off as a supreme douche.

From all I've heard with regards to people that supposedly have insight into the organization and the response I heard from RC's own mouth a couple of days ago on the radio ... I find it comical how Fin could say there was some kind of eruption that took place and mutual parting of ways.

Make no mistake, Pop and RC were blind-sided by his request and if not for RC catching himself mid-sentence, preventing him from expressing how disappointed and/or shocked he was with a guy like Fin taking the easy way out when the going got tough, he was on his way to saying as much during the interview; it was like hearing someone tow the company line regurgitating talking points to prevent from slipping up for fear of some kind of future reprisal.


I have no hard feelings with them, it was just something they were willing to do, and I was man enough to be ready to make that move.

Weak sauce, Fin . . .

Adversity doesn't build but expose character; the going got tough, you obviously never got over yourself and/or had the humility to acknowledge your limitation, and you bailed. You weren't man enough to make a move, you were exposed for being either delusional and/or an ungrateful, gravy-training sonbitch that had come to the realization that the team that gave you your first and only championship was no longer of any use to you.

"Class act" always seems to be the term used when Fin is mentioned; one wonders if that's not supposed to be a literal interpretation.

Good riddance . . .

[mogrovejo]

Does anyone think the 2010 Celtics look like the 2009 Spurs?

- HOF PF playing at 50% due to late season nagging injuries? Check
- All-star swingman whose body is breaking down? Check
- Young PG having to carry the entire load every night? Check

Finley just completes it all. It's going to be an ugly end this year for Boston.

No.

-Garnett is playing above 50%.
-Who's the AS swingman whose body is breaking down? I'm pretty sure Pierce is way more productive now than Ginobili was 1 year ago.
-You mean the most overrated PG in the NBA who only looks good because he plays with 3 HoFers?

We'll see.


I've been saying this for a while now, only I think they're more like the '08 Spurs.

- terrible 3rd quarter team
- constantly blowing double digit leads
- still good, but clearly slipping defensively
- go on major scoring droughts because they don't have enough players who can create offense or put up big numbers

- their point differential in 3rd quarters is basically 0, which is bad. But when all the 5 starters play, it's 1.9 which is good.
- true
- maybe they're slipping, but they're still the best defensive team in the NBA. And when Garnett is playing, even if still rounding into form, it's still not really close.
- there are only 3 teams with a superior eFG% than the Celtics. Scoring droughts happen to the 4/5 bench players units Doc plays, especially when the team is shorthanded. Rondo, Pierce, Nate, Daniels, Ray and Garnett is enough shot-creation. The reason the Celtics offence is only average are turnovers. But that's a problem that's been going on in regular seasons since this team was put together.

You left out the Celtics biggest problem by far (besides turnovers), lack of rebounding.

Finley was signed to be the 4th/5th wing. He replaces Scalabrine's minutes at the 3 plus part of Tony Allen's minutes. The Celtics 2nd unit is very short on shooting so he makes sense.

Doc only plays 8-9 guys in the playoff rotation. Robinson and Daniels will absorb all the minutes in the backcourt. Finley will be a situational backup, used to stretch the floor in plays to end the quarters, absorb some minutes if there's major foul trouble and stuff like that.

In any case, I thought Juwan Howard and Jerry Stackhouse were finished 4 seasons ago. Ditto for Jay Williams. This has been a good season for resuscitations, and Finley has only been dead for 3 years, so one never knows.

[TJastal]

Hate to break the news to you Mogrevejo, but Scalabrine is way better than Finley... better shooter, defender, and hustle player.

Plus he is a fan favorite in Boston. Finley will quickly become a fan pain in the ass once he starts missing wide open 3's and blowing defensive assignments.

[mogrovejo]

Hate to break the news to you Mogrevejo, but Scalabrine is way better than Finley... better shooter, defender, and hustle player.

Plus he is a fan favorite in Boston. Finley will quickly become a fan pain in the ass once he starts missing wide open 3's and blowing defensive assignments.

Scal is a better player than Finley, but not at the 3, unless he's shooting very well and Finley very poorly.

Who cares anyway? Finley won't play enough to become liked or hated by fans.