The Celtics draft day deal for former Sonic Ray Allen put the team on the doorstep of the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference.

The July 31 deal for Kevin Garnett, which netted the Minnesota Timberwolves five players and two draft picks, puts the team firmly into the playoffs, but not as high as some people would like you to believe.

Yes, TD Banknorth Garden will be sold out for the next fine years -- Garnett signed a three-year extension on top of the two years left on his deal that will keep him in Beantown through the 2011-12 season.

Yes, the Celtics will be relevant for at least three of those five campaigns.

And, yes, the most storied franchise in the League, which hasn't raised a banner since "The Simpsons" was just a skit on "The Tracey Ullman Show," will be on opposing team's radars each time they play.

What they won't be, though, is title contenders.

The 31-year-old Garnett, 32-year-old Allen and Paul Pierce, 29, do make for an imposing trio. But what else is there after those three?

The Celtics acquired Garnett, a 10-time All-Star and the NBA MVP in 2004, from Minnesota in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, a 2009 first-round draft pick and a return of Minnesota's conditional first-round pick previously obtained in the Ricky Davis-Wally Sczerbiak  swap.

The Timberwolves also receive cash considerations in the deal. The 2009 pick Boston is sending to Minnesota is top-three protected.

Let's see: five players and two draft picks, which will admittedly be in the 16-21 range, for one guy. That's the largest deal for one player in League history.

Here's Boston's depth chart after the trade:

PG: Rajon Rondo, Allan Ray

SG: Ray Allen, Tony Allen

SF: Paul Pierce

PF: Kevin Garnett, Brian Scalabrine, Leon Powe

C: Kendrick Perkins, Michael Olowokandi

No depth. The Big Three makes the squad more than just a blip on the NBA radar, but nothing more.

Of the five players traded away, one averaged 33 minutes a night (Jefferson), and Gomes put in 31 minutes a game. Green and Telfair got more than 20 minutes of burn each night, and Ratliff played for than 20 minutes in the two games he suited up for. Delonte West and Sczerbiak, who were sent to Seattle in the Allen deal, averaged 30 minutes a game between them.

You'd think this would help the squad, what with head coach Doc Rivers' inability to magane playing time for a group, but now they have another problem.

Their top two point guards are gone. Danny Ainge traded away a promising front court player in Jefferson. And Boston will have to rely on Perkins and OlowoBusti to provide something in the post.

Unless Boston brass has some more deals up their sleeves -- maybe bringing in Brevin Knight to play the role he played in Charlotte behind Ray Felton until Rondo can be let loose, and/or bringing in Chris Webber, Anderson Varejao or Earl Boykins -- this is just a deal to make headlines.

Even though they were knocked out of the first round of the '07 playoffs, Toronto is still the class of the Atlantic Division. Bosh is a young Garnett, the Raptors have depth in the post and two capable quarterbacks in T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon.

The Pistons and Bulls are deeper and light years ahead of Boston on defense.

Oh, and there are those two guys who aren't going anywhere for a while: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

That's five teams I put ahead of Boston in the East. The other two East playoff teams are Milwaukee and Washington, and that all hinges on health.

So that puts Boston, after all its wheeling and dealing, sixth in the Eastern Conference.

I know big moves are the ones that garner the print and air time, but subtle tweaks bring home trophies.

So don't stitch that 17th banner just yet.

A couple weeks ago, I broke down the needs of the playoff teams that were bounced in the first round. Now we’ll get into the issues of the squads that were steps away from the NBA’s version of the Final Four

Chicago Bulls — Everyone knows and beats to the death the fact that the Bulls need a post scorer. But more pressing is the need for a legit two-guard so Ben Gordon can reprise his role as Microwave 2000. Gordon is a helluva scorer, but he’s not someone you can count on for 40-plus minutes a night. I also think it’s a stretch to call on him to check a 6’5” or taller two. Talk of dealing Gordon is bogus. People in Chi-town have already dubbed him “Air Gordon.” You can’t deal a young guy who can fill it up.

The rumored deals for Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol make sense for some reasons. But the cons heavily outweigh the pros. In three playoff appearances, Gasol is 0-12. Yes, the West is tough, but Memphis never finished higher than the eight spot in the playoffs. And who says he’s so awesome in the post. Have you seen him play? Yea, he has post moves, but he’s about as fleet of foot as Sean Casey. And I think his arms are longer than his legs. Take that as you will.

Garnett is intriguing. He’s been a top-5 player for the last half decade. He has an MVP on his mantle. He’s a fiery competitor. But before 2004, Garnett was 0-fer the playoffs. Since 2004, Big Ticket hasn’t seen the postseason. Of all the great players in the League, I honestly believe Garnett plays with the most passion. But he should not be missing the playoffs at this stage of his career. Do you realize the 2007-08 season will be Garnett’s 13th?

 

Yea, he’d be a massive upgrade over P.J. Brown, but I don’t see him being the guy who gets Chicago over the hump. Even with Ben Wallace and Luol Deng on the roster, Garnett would still be The Man. He hasn’t fared so well with that title when it comes to on-the-court. Missing the playoffs three straight seasons is evidence enough of that.

If I were Bulls GM John Paxson, I would build up my roster through free agency and the draft. Bobcats swingman Gerald Wallace is a free agent this summer. He’d fill the need for a legit shooting guard, paving the way for Gordon’s return to the sixth man role. The Bulls could parlay the lottery pick they received from the Knicks by way of the Eddy Curry deal into 7’2” Roy Hibbert. If Hibbert can start right away and give Scott Skiles 14 and 8, the Bulls should be favored in the East. Chicago’s 2007-08 rotation would then be: Hinrich, Gerald Wallace, Deng, Ben Wallace, Hibbert (starters); Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas, Chris Duhon and Thabo Sefolosha.

Yes, it’s a young group. But the core has been in the playoffs each of the last three seasons and should have the confidence going into next season that it can hang with anybody and (maybe) make it to the Finals.

Golden State Warriors — Golden State was a great story and seeing the look on Mark Cuban’s face when Dallas lost that series was classic. But anyone in the know knows the Warriors had no shot against any other team in the playoffs.

 

That helter skelter style makes for good TV, but it doesn’t get you any jewelry. Golden State is a team that has to build a big lead and hold it or blow a team out. When it comes to making decisions in tight situations, that’s where the Warriors struggle. Whether it be missing three free throws in the last 20 seconds o####ame, or passing up easy mid-range shots in another, Golden State doesn’t have the personnel to pull out close games.

Jason Richardson wants out. Monta Ellis doesn’t want to be a career back up. And Stephen Jackson is psycho. That playoff run was the epitome of one of those “lightning in a bottle moments.” Remember, the Warriors had to win 10 of their last 11 just to get into the eight spot.

Like Chicago, Golden State is too perimeter oriented. For that reason alone, if it’s true Phoenix is shopping Amare Stoudemire, Chris Mullin should do everything in his power to get him to the Bay Area. The Warriors’ style isn’t hat far removed from what the Suns run. Baron Davis is a capable point guard, and Amare would be their first option — exactly what he wants. Amare is slated to make $15 million per for the next few years. A deal of Stoudemire for Richardson, Sarunas Jasikevicius and an expiring deal would get it done.

If Golden State doesn’t find a guy who they can dump the ball to on a consistent basis, the second round is as far as they’ll get.

New Jersey Nets — The return of Nenad Krstic will help the Nets immensely. In the 26 games he appeared in this season, Krstic netted 16.4 points and pulled down 6.8 boards a night.

But Kristic’s return is the least of Jersey’s worries. Vince Carter is a free agent. And Jason Kidd isn’t getting any younger.

Kidd turned in one of the greatest playoff performances ever for two rounds, averaging a triple-double (14.6, 10.9, 10.9). And in one moment, Carter showed that after nine years in the League, he still isn’t ready for prime time as he let 68-year-old Eric Snow body him enough to where he couldn’t get a shot off in game 5 of the Nets/Cavs second round series. He also shot 6-23 in an elimination game.

If this team stays together, it has the pieces to make a run next spring. Jersey needs bench help. Bostjan Nachbar put in 9.9 in 23 minutes of work each night, but the rest of the Nets’ bench did nothing.

This year’s underwhelming free agent class consists of guys who would be solid contributors off the bench. Matt Barnes could give Jersey toughness and some energy off the bench, as could guys like Earl Boykins, Devean George and Andres Nocioni.

Phoenix Suns — If it wasn’t for that bogus suspension, the Suns would still be playing. But they’re not, so I have to address their needs now.

Phoenix doesn’t need much. Kurt Thomas playing solid against Tim Duncan showed that. But Steve Nash’s back isn’t getting any better. He’s approaching Larry Bird territory with that thing.

A couple of things could set the Suns up for years to come. If they play the Amare Stoudemire/Shawn Marion trade rumors right, they should get a starter and a first-round pick in either deal. Phoenix also has a potential top-five pick by way of the Joe Johnson trade. That pick could turn into Al Horford or Joakim Noah, making Stoudemire a little more expendable than Marion due to the positions they play. Marion’s defensive performance against San Antonio, where he guarded both Tony Parker and Tim Duncan for stretches, increases his worth, too.

Steve Nash needs an understudy. If Stoudemire is retained, Phoenix should say “f$ck it” and draft Mike Conley Jr. with that pick and hope Boris Diaw regains his motivation. If Marion is retained, Phoenix should draft Horford or Noah, hope Milwaukee’s Mo Williams, who averaged 17, 5 and 5 last year, doesn’t want a “huge” deal and roll with a core of Nash, Marion, Leandro Barbosa, Diaw, Raja Bell, Horford/Noah, Williams and whatever piece they get in the Amare deal.

Remember, Phoenix got to the Western Conference Finals last season minus Stoudemire. He’s no slouch, but trading Amare wouldn’t set Phoenix back as much as trading Marion would.

More team needs coming after the conference finals.

             It’s rare the fanbase of a team that had a high draft pick at the end of a season and won a title the following season would want to see a draft redone, but that’s exactly what Detroit Pistons fans have been clamoring for since David Stern walked up to the podium June 26, 2003, in the Theater at Madison Square Garden and uttered the now infamous words, “...the Detroit Pistons select...Darko Milicic....”

All I’ve heard from countless fans, who have seen the guys drafted around Darko become all stars, Olympians and contributors on playoff teams, is things like, “We coulda had (insert all-world player’s name here).”

Sure, Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars had plenty of options with the pick, which the team got by way of a trade involving Otis Thorpe (!). His team just finished up a campaign where it won 50 games and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit had a solid backcourt (Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton), a blossoming swingman (Tayshaun Prince), a defensive beast in Ben Wallace and a bench that featured solid veterans (Corliss Williamson and Jon Barry).

What the Pistons needed was a four man to complete their starting lineup. They would acquire that power forward, but not through the draft. Detroit picked up Rasheed Wallace after the 2004 all-star break and rode its starters to the 2004 NBA title.

Two-and-a-half seasons later, Ben Wallace is in Chicago, Billups may opt out of his contract, Rasheed Wallace isn’t getting any younger and the bench is thin. This is where the Darko pick would come in handy, right? You’d think, in his fourth season, Milicic would have turned into a solid, nightly contributor in Motown, right? Well, Darko was traded, along with expendable point guard Carlos Arroyo, to the Orlando Magic for Kelvin Cato (no longer with the Pistons), and a top-five protected 2007 draft pick or a top-two protected ’08 pick.

So let’s play a game of “what if.” The ’03 draft turned out to be one of the deepest in history, being mentioned in the same breath as the ’84 draft (Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton) and the ’96 draft (Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Jermaine O’Neal). Darko was the second pick on the ’03 edition of the draft. The second pick in the other star-studded drafts hasn’t panned out how GMs and owners hoped. Sam Bowie’s 10-year career was injury filled and Marcus Camby (selected number two by the Toronto Raptors in 1996) has turned into a serviceable big man, but not what Isiah Thomas hoped when he drafted him.

Waiting a few years to re-do or grade a previous draft is always a good idea, IMO. Who would have thought Josh Howard and Leandro Barbosa would have turned into stars after their rookie campaigns?

Number one in 2003 was a no-brainer. Cleveland was set to take LeBron James with the first selection. It gets interesting past that point, though, so we’ll start with the second pick. The draftees’ original spot is in parentheses.

 

 

1.      Cleveland Cavaliers — LeBron James (1), St. Vincent/St. Mary’s High School. Original pick: James

2.      Detroit Pistons — Chris Bosh (4), Georgia Tech.  A number of people have said Detroit should have taken Carmelo Anthony here, but the Pistons already had a small forward in Prince. Dwyane Wade may have fit here, too, but his minutes may have been minimal behind Hamilton and Billups. Many people have said Milicic didn’t display any passion or work ethic, which led to him not getting any burn. I think Bosh, Anthony and Wade would have earned some PT. Original pick: Darko Milicic

3.      Denver Nuggets — Dwyane Wade (5), Marquette. We all know Denver took Anthony in the spot four years ago. The 2006 Finals MVP could have worked out for the Nuggets, though. With the 46th pick, Denver could have chosen the undrafted Udonis Haslem, Wade’s teammate in Miami or the undrafted Marquise Daniels. Haslem has stayed healthy throughout his career, which is more than I can say for Nene. Haslem may have not commanded a $60 million deal the way Hilario did, either. Original pick: Carmelo Anthony

4.      Toronto Raptors — Carmelo Anthony (3), Syracuse. Could drafting Anthony have kept Vince Carter in Canada? We’ll never know, but this pick could have given the Raptors a wing tandem for the ages. Haslem was also still on the board when Toronto picked again at 52. Original pick: Bosh

5.      Miami Heat — Josh Howard (29), Wake Forest. The best defensive player on the list takes a huge jump from his original position. I don’t know if Howard would have led the Heat to the second round of the playoffs the way Wade did his rookie season, but Howard’s all-around, unselfish game would have meshed well with Shaq, assuming O’Neal would have still signed with the Heat. Milwaukee point guard Mo Williams was available at 33, as well. Original pick: Wade

6.      Los Angeles Clippers — Chris Kaman (6), Central Michigan. Kaman was selected here by the Clippers in the ’03 draft. He fit a need with the departure of former number one pick Michael Olowokandi. Kaman parlayed a couple solid seasons into a $50 million re-up before injuries put him on the shelf for much of the current season. Original pick: Kaman

7.      Chicago Bulls — Kirk Hinrich (7), Kansas. Hinrich was originally selected here by the Bulls in 2003. The Jayhawk fit a need after ’02 pick Jay Williams pulled a Rothlesberger before you could call it that. Hinrich has been a key cog in the Bulls’ resurgence, helping lead the team to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Original pick: Hinrich

8.      Milwaukee Bucks — T.J. Ford (8), Texas. Ford was selected here by Milwaukee and fit a need following the departure of Sam Cassell to Minnesota and Gary Payton to the Lakers. Ford was having a solid rookie campaign (7.1 ppg, 6.5 apg) before he suffered a neck injury. Ford was traded to Toronto for Raptors 2006 lottery pick Charlie Villanueva. Ford has piloted Toronto to the top of the Atlantic division and the three-seed in the Eastern Conference. Original pick: Ford

9.      New York Knicks — David West (18), Xavier. The 6’9,” 240-pound West had a quiet first two years with the Hornets, but West had a breakout season last year, averaging 17.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field. Yes, I’m sure having Chris Paul helped, but West seems like a hard worker who’ll do anything to make it in the League. Original pick: Michael Sweetney

10.  Washington Wizards

11.  Golden State Warriors

     Either of these spots could have gone to two players: Boris Diaw (21) and Luke Walton (32). Diaw couldn’t get off the bench in Atlanta, yet he has been a major part of a Phoenix team that has re-introduced “Showtime” to the masses, even garnering Most Improved Player honors at the end of the 2005-06 season. Starting at center for Phoenix that season in the playoffs, Diaw averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 boards and 5.2 assists. Walton has blossomed into one of the better all-around young players in the league. His adept passing skills have been put on display in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. In 48 games this season, Walton has more than doubled his career scoring (5.1 to 11.4 ppg), and assists per game averages (2.3 to 4.5). The original picks in these slots, Jarvis Hayes and Michael Pietrus, have shown flashes at time, but haven’t played at the level of Diaw and Walton. Original picks: Jarvis Hayes (Wash.) and Michael Pietrus (GSW)

12.  Seattle Supersonics — Udonis Haslem, Florida. I considered slotting Darko here, but Seattle has had a pension to take ####ers the last few years (Reggie Evans, trading for Chris Wilcox). Haslem went undrafted in 2003, after playing overseas in 2002, but has worked his way into the starting PF spot in South Beach for the foreseeable future. Haslem isn’t flashy, but he’s a big body who isn’t afraid to mix it up in the post. It also helps that he can hit an 18-foot jumper consistently. Original pick: Nick Collison

13.  Memphis Grizzlies — Leandro Barbosa, Brazil. As of March 27), Barbosa is averaging 17.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 32.4 minutes per game. Barbosa is widely considered at the favorite to wint he Sixth Man of the Year award. The speedy Barbosa could start on a number of teams, but he’s happy with his role in Phoenix. Ironically, one of his teammates, Marcus Banks, was selected in this spot originally. Banks rarely sniffs the court in Phoenix. Original pick: Marcus Banks

Yes, the fortunes of a number of teams could have been changed had the draft when as I see it. But, hey, hindsight is 20/20. Can you imagine a lineup of Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Bosh? The Chris Webber deal would have been uncalled for, or Webber would have been relegated to a sixth man role. Now, Detroit has to worry about losing its starting power forward and center in a year or two. I can see Piston fans using old battery acid for eyedrops.

But they’re not the only people I’m worried about. With the number of second overall picks that have done squat in the League (Bowie, Steve Stipanovich and Milicic come to mind), I’m going to say a prayer for both Greg Oden and Kevin Durant on draft night.

Sorry, Brendan Wright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's the most famous phrase I have been subjected to at numerous points of my life.

After that fight Saturday night-let's not call it a brawl, please-I had an inkling that the inevitable suspension of NBA leading scorer Carmelo Anthony would push the Nuggets to swing a deal for Allen Iverson to stay afloat in the tough Western Conference.

Well, it happened. Allen Iverson, who spent 10-plus seasons as a Sixer; who suffered countless bumps, bruises and injuries for that team; who, along with head coach Larry Brown, willed a team of cast-offs and journeymen to the 2001 NBA Finals; who, like Kevin Garnett, had become disgusted with the less than mediocre cast he had been surrounded with, is now a Denver Nugget.

The West just became that much more interesting.

The trade just went down, and all I'm hearing from talking heads is that AI won't get along with George Karl. I can understand the reasoning behind that: Old School and New School, yada, yada, yada; but think about this: who'd Sixers GM Billy King enlist as a consultant in his mission to trade The Answer?

Brown.

Larry Brown was hired as a consultant in Philly last week to help in the trade process. The same Larry Brown who, supposedly, couldn't deal with Iverson during his tenure in Philadelphia.

Why do I bring this up? It's connected to the color of Iverson's new uni.

Carolina Blue.

Karl and Brown are boys from Tobacco Road. Brown saw that Karl would be losing his two leading scorers, Anthony for 15 games and J.R. Smith for 10, so he decided to help his boy out a bit. You don't think Brown, Iverson and Karl haven't been on three-way already working things out?

Iverson will be able to thrive in the more wide open West. Honestly, he could still have more mileage left on his body if this deal had been made a couple years ago. This deal should help Denver stay alive in the West playoff race until Melo comes off his suspension, and I don't think he and AI will have trouble meshing together once the latter returns.

Anthony, only in his fourth year in the league, will be the best player Iverson has been paired with. The difference between he and the likes of Larry Hughes and Jerry Stackhouse is that Melo really doesn't need the ball at all times to be effective. His game has changed this season. He is less reliant on his J and more willing to hit the post and body his man for a high-percentage shot. He's willing to #### in lieu of staying on the perimeter.

I don't think putting the two together will get Denver to the finals. I'm not even sure it can propel them past Utah in the Northwest Division. But would you want to see (likely) two of the top 5 scorers in the game in a seven-game series?

That's thinking a little far ahead. What about some of the great individual match ups this gives us for the next couple years.

Iverson/Paul

Iverson/Nash

Iverson/Davis

Iverson/Parker

Iverson/Alston (for the streetball heads)

This move could jumpstart AI's career. It also signals Philly's willingness to "start over" for the second time in 14 years. Remember what happened after Charles Barkley left the City of Brotherly Love for the Land of the Rising Sun in '92. Philly didn't sniff the playoffs for nearly a decade.

Who was it that brought the Sixers out of the ashes?

The Little Dude with the cornrows.

Now he's gone, too.

I wonder if the League will freeze the envelope for Philly like they did for the Knicks in '85.

I've never been a fan of the Boston Celtics. Lets get that out of the way right now.

But I am a fan and avid studier of basketball history, so I understand how important this storied franchise is to the game I love.

That's why I can't stand to see the organization with the most championships in league history-16-mired in the sorry state it's currently in.

Yes, I realize Boston won a division title in a (bad) Atlantic Division in 2004-05. But before that, the Celtics hadn't won a division crown for 13 years. Boston hasn't been to the Finals in a score. And they haven't won a title in 21 years.

It could be a little early to be saying this, but Red Auerbach has to be spinning in his grave. A week into the season, and a little more than week after his fatal heart attack, Red's Celtics are 0-3 and allowing 105.3 ppg-good for 25th in a 30-team league. Swingmen Paul Pierce and Wally Szsklsdklfhsiak average a combined 50 points a night, while the other 10 guys who suit up score 47.3 ppg. Pierce, a small forward, is currently second in the League with 13 boards a night, while the C's two big men-Kedrick Perkins and Michael "I can't BE-LIEVE I was the first overall pick" Olowokandi-combine for 7.2 rpg to go along with their robust 3 ppg.

I like the youth movement Boston has implemented with guards Sebastian Telfair, Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen and forwards Perkins, Gerald Green and Al Jefferson. But how is this fair to Pierce-a top-five guard-who goes out and goes hard each and every night?

Yes, it's early, but when you combine that youth movement with one of the worst in-game coaches in the League and a seemingly clueless GM, Doc Rivers and Danny Ainges, respectively, you get the ugly situation the Celtics have had since Reggie Lewis passed away.

Who knows what would have happened had those ping-pong balls fallen in Boston's favor in '97. Tim Duncan could be donning a green and white 21 jersey instead of his silver and black. Boston had two lottery picks that year and used them on Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer. Billups lasted in Beantown for half a season, while Mercer played two under his coach at Kentucky-Rick Pitino. That draft is admittedly one of the thinnest in history, but, if they had it to do over again, I'm guessing Boston brass would have selected Tracy McGrady and, I don't know, Brevin Knight?

Almost 10 years later, all the Celtics have to show is a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002.

I don't claim to know everything about basketball, but Ainge needs to do one of two things: trade Pierce and Sczerbiak for more young guys or picks and go full on with the youth push, or trade some of those young horses for gritty vets-a la Pat Riley in Miami-and get his team back to the playoffs.

No, Ainge wouldn't be able to bring a huge name on board since his young guys are still on their rookie deals. The money wouldn't match up. But I'm guessing Donald Sterling would at least listen to a Pierce to the L.A. Clippers for Shaun Livingston and Corey Maggette deal. Or to Denver for J.R. Smith and Eduardo Najera.

I'm hoping something gets done before the Atlantic Division becomes home to two of the worst-run franchises in the League.

And New Jersey, Toronto or Philly isn't the other one.

Good job, Zeke!!