I while back I was ready to axe the Danny Ainge experiment. Some of his trades made absolutely no sense to me, but today I think he may have saved his job. With the acquisition of Kevin Garnett, the new look Celtics are a force to be reckoned with. It is not a foregone conclusion that they will win the East, but they are now in the top three teams. With Garnett, Pierce, and Allen, they have all the firepower they need to contend for the top spot along with the Pistons, Heat, and Cavaliers. I believe the Magic are still not in contention with the Lewis signing, but they will be better than they were last year.
The key to the Celtics is for all three stars to remain healthy. KG has been remarkably healthy with Allen and Pierce each missing significant time over the last few years with injuries. Should all three play in every game, they will be in the thick of things come post season.
The Celtics mortgaged their future giving away Green, Gomes, and Jefferson, but they did manage to unload Theo Ratliff and Sebastion Telfair. That alone was worth the trade. Should Jefferson turn out to be a true star in the NBA, the Celtics still gained an existing Super Star in Kevin Garnett. It will be fun to watch to see if the Irish Green can regain some of the former glory of the Bird years.
Let's slow down here. He made a trade that on the outside seems appealing to most but deep down its not a good trade. They gave up Al jefferson, a blossoming player who was going to have a 20-10 season but worst, 2 first-rounders!!!! INSANE MADNESS! That could be 2 10 year all stars you gave up for 4 years o####ood player? No way. He wont even be the player he is now in 2 years. While Boston is groping trying to find picks in '09, McHale will be laughing from his living room(he will be fired by then)and we will all see that this was a bad trade. I wrote a piece on my blog, check it out.
Bubb, he gave up two first round picks, but one was one they acquired from MN last year. Picks are not necessarily as valuable as a known commodity. So would you not give up two first round picks for Kobe, Wade, or Melo? I would. KG is that type of player and always has been. The Celtics locked him up for 5 years, so it is not one and out. It is good for the Celtics and bad for everyone else.
sls, If the Heat could beat the Mavs, the Pistons beat the Lakers three years back, then yes they can beat a team from the West. The west appears dominant until you look at the last 5 years and you realize that they have won twice, and in one of the other years Shaq was on the West and not the East. With three All Stars, you always have a shot.
9 players currently on the roster, and they're already over the salary cap (i believe) at $67 million.
now, i dont know what KG's extension looks like...someone i know said 3 years, and that means he'll be with boston for 5 years, but is it really 5 years, or did he just re-work the numbers for the final 2 years of his minny contract and just add 1 more year?
anyway, i just dont see it. the health will be a huge question mark, since the C's now have no depth at all. seriously, rajon rondo and kendrick perkins are penciled into the starting lineup right now.
by the time KG and ray allen are completely over the hill, the C's wont have ANY young talent coming in.
SoCal- KG is in no way on the levels of Melo, Wade and Kobe. He will be there for 5 years, but how much longer can he be as dominate as you say he can be, I say only the next 2 or 3 years. In 2009 the Celtics will be wondering what they did and now in 2009 they will have a declining player and the Wolves will have an All Star in Al Jefferson, 2 solid players in Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green, and 2 first round draft picks. In 2010 the Wolves will be contending for the west alongside the Suns and the Jazz. Chew on that nugget.
