ESPN

ESPN Boston wraps up its Q&A sessions with Celtics legends by chatting with Dave Cowens, who amassed over 13,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in his 11-year NBA career (10 of which were spent in Boston), and helped lead the Celtics to championships in 1974 and 1976. Cowens discussed his fondest memories from his playing days, Paul Pierce's place in Celtics history, and Doc Rivers' tenure as coach of the C's.

What's your favorite memory of your playing days?

"I think back to the first time I was involved with winning a championship against the Bucks in 1974. That's probably the highlight for me."

What it's like going up against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

"It was a hard day at the job (laughs)."

Favorite memory of Boston?

"Boston is, as we know now, the greatest sports city in the country. I think even back then, even though all the other teams weren't winning championships, because it has such a rich heritage of sports -- the marathon and John L. Sullivan and Olympians and everything else -- you still felt like you were in a place that was special."

Where would you rank Paul Pierce as one of the all-time greats?

"I can't give him a number because I can't think of all the different guys, but he's a great player. He's done everything that this franchise has asked him to do and more."

How would you assess Doc Rivers' tenure as a coach?

"Doc's a great guy, and he's smart. He's a tough guy. When he talks, [the players] listen. They know he's telling them the truth, and really, players respect that. They respect a guy that's got the knowledge and he tells them the truth. Because they know a lot about the game, too. They're not just learning it. They've been through five-, six-, seven-hundred games as a pro, as a college player, [and] high school player. So they've been around a lot of locker room talks and chalk talks and things like that. So, they understand. And he has a good way with the players, and I think the veterans really respect him, and they've got some strong character veterans and that just feeds down to the other guys that play on the team."

Can the C's still compete another year with an aging core?

[No hesitation]. "Oh yeah. Because [the other teams] are a year older, too, remember."

His thoughts on the Big Three staying in shape

"Well, those guys take care of themselves, you know? Basketball has become a profession where you're on the clock pretty much 11 months of the year for the most part. Once the season was over we were out doing our thing and nobody was bothering us for the most part. These guys stay in pretty good shape all year long."

Greg Payne is a student intern for ESPNBoston.com

All this week ESPN Boston will be chatting with Celtics legends, who will be discussing some of their favorite memories from their playing days, Paul Pierce’s place in Celtics history, the team’s aging core, and a slew of other topics. Today we check in with Dana Barros, who was born and raised in the Boston area and played for the Celtics for five seasons in the late 90's, before returning for a final game in green during the 2003-2004 season. Barros still holds an NBA record for most consecutive games with a 3-point field goal -- a streak that sits at 89 games and was extended to that mark during his time in Boston.

What’s your favorite memory from your playing days in Boston?

“I would say breaking the record for most 3-pointers for games in a row. I hold the record at 89 games, but I think I broke it at 59.”

Given that you’re from the area, can you convey just how much Boston has meant to you?

“[I was] born here, lived here my whole life, so, man, the city of Boston has just totally rallied around me. I owe probably hundreds of people. I owe them, because they looked out for me, took care of me, protected me, kept me out of trouble. So I just give thanks to the whole city of Mattapan. They really looked out for me.”

Where does Paul Pierce rank among all of the Celtic greats?

“Well I mean in this generation, I’d say he’s in the conversation with the [Cedric] Maxwells and the [1980’s] guys. I think he’s in there. I mean, he has the one championship, but the thing that Paul brings to the table, he set his own destiny. He created with those guys, their own path, so I think he’s right up there with those guys. He’s probably going to be the all-time leading scorer.”

Do you think the Celtics can be competitive this coming season given their continually aging core of players?

“I think right now, we’re on a precipice. They have to get young guys in here this year. But if they can get two or three young guys on the perimeter, they can make another run for a year or two, definitely.”

Greg Payne is a student intern for ESPNBoston.com

All this week, ESPN Boston will be chatting with Celtics legends, who will be discussing some of their favorite memories from their playing days, Paul Pierce’s place in Celtics history, the team’s aging core, and a slew of other topics. Today, we check in with Tom “Satch” Sanders, who played all 13 years of his NBA career for Boston, winning eight championships along the way. Sanders was a member of the first all-black starting lineup in NBA history, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor this past weekend.

What’s your favorite memory from your playing days?

“Favorite memory about playing in Boston... Just really making the team and being able to play for the Celtics, and going back to New York and having the success that we had, particularly against the Knickerbockers for a number of years, before they got themselves together. Since I grew up being a Knickerbocker fan, it was really neat.”

What’s your favorite memory from your time in Boston?

“Well hockey was what the city was about. So, I liked what the city represented in terms of -- the biggest thing that made it a nice place was all the colleges and a lot of young people came into the city. They get, what, 150,000 kids every year? I don’t know. With all the colleges and universities? So it made it a fun place to be in terms of activities. It was inexpensive. It wasn’t up to New York prices at those times. It was a different Boston. So, I liked it.”

Where does Paul Pierce rank among all of the Celtic greats?

“Well, certainly the stats speak for themselves. You’ve watched a real performer. He has to be among, easily, the top 10 players who’ve played for the Celtics. He may well be in the top five for that matter. It just depends on what era you’re looking at. It’s always best, as far as I’m concerned, to take it in 10 year spaces. So you look at it from [1950] to [1960], who were the particular players at that time, and you take a look at another 10 years and another generation, and so on. So clearly he’s up with the best of them. Everybody talks about rating players, well, you’re certainly not going to do the one, two, three thing, because clearly there’s only one player at the top and that’s [Bill] Russell. After that, others begin to line up.”

Can the Celtics still be competitive this coming season with their core players all another year older?

“Listen, you win because you’ve got at least nine, 10 guys that can play. That’s always the case. When you look at Dallas this year, they won because they had 10 guys that could play. No one thought that [J.J. Barea] was going to be that kind of a factor, but without him they wouldn’t have won. So you had your Jason Kidds and your [Dirk] Nowitzkis and you had the other guys, but without the contributions of [Tyson] Chandler, [Shawn] Marion and [Barea] -- and before he got hurt, the other center, [Brendan] Haywood -- it just would not have happened, period. So, you need all those guys, that blend. Here, the media’s getting all excited about talking about the age of the three guys, like you’re playing against all the competition, people themselves. Come on. They’re showing a lack of knowledge and feel for the game. We were too old in 1962. We were judged by the media to be too old and we couldn’t win anymore. We went on to win about six more. Not only do you have balance, do you have players, and do you have a good core, but do you have players that can come in and keep playing? If you don’t have that balance of nine, 10 players, guess what? If you go by the philosophy that the media seems to throw out there, then obviously [Dwyane] Wade, [Chris] Bosh, and LeBron [James] should have won the whole thing, right? But somehow, in the media, they make all this noise about what happened here, but somehow it doesn’t apply elsewhere. There’s a cut-off. That makes it hard to think a lot of people know what they’re talking about.”

What are your thoughts on being elected to the Hall of Fame?

“It’s a big deal. I’m glad it’s happening, and I’m glad it’s happening while I’m alive. That’s kind of important. A lot of guys in [the Hall of Fame] that I like and admire and played with and against, so it’s a good place to be.”

Greg Payne is a student intern for ESPNBoston.com

BRIGHTON, Mass. -- JaJuan Johnson might have recently earned his bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University, but come this summer -- NBA lockout or not -- the Kevin Garnett School of Basketball will be open for business, and it'll be up to Johnson to decide if he wants to hop on the fast track to a first-rate NBA education.

But he needs to know one thing up front: The first offer will be the only offer.

"Kevin's a great teacher," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said on Thursday. "Actually, the best teacher that I've ever coached, by far. But if you don't listen the first time, he'll never teach you again, and that's just how he works. We warn guys of that, and some follow, and end up being coached by Kevin Garnett, and some think they know it all, and they're not."

Some might have tossed aside the lessons Garnett has tried to instill, but at his introductory press conference on Monday at the Edison K-8 School, Johnson was quick to assure all that he will not be one of those players. Like a sponge, he's ready to soak up all the knowledge Garnett is willing to pass along.

"Oh yeah, I'll definitely listen to him," Johnson said. "If he tells me something, I'll definitely do my best to execute what he's saying, because I definitely don't want him shutting me down, especially because I definitely want to learn as much as I can from him."

(Read full post)

BOSTON -- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said after Thursday's NBA draft that first-round pick JaJuan Johnson was simply the best player available at the time of Boston's selection, but the fact that he's a low-post presence -- something the C's are in short supply of these days -- had to be as gratifying as the fact that Johnson was still available.

Currently, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal are the only big men guaranteed to return to the roster next season, with Shaquille O'Neal retiring, Nenad Krstic bolting for Russia, and Glen Davis set to test unrestricted free agency. Because of the current state of the Celtics' frontcourt, much of the conversation Thursday shifted to Johnson's potential impact next season. Ainge said that he thinks Johnson can compete for a spot on the team immediately -- something he also said about E'Twaun Moore, the 6-foot-4 guard the C's grabbed with the 55th overall selection -- but Celtics coach Doc Rivers has earned a reputation as a skipper who doesn't present his young players with many opportunities.

Part of that, though, is the fact that on championship-caliber teams, young players aren't often ready to contribute on a consistent basis. For his part, Rivers is still unclear as to just how much Johnson will bring to the table next season.

"Yeah, he may be," Rivers said as to whether or not Johnson is ready to make an immediate impact. "We don't know. [Wednesday] we didn't think he would [still be on the draft board], honestly, and he slipped to us. Who knows why, but he did. I think you've got to put him on the floor. I can't tell you if he's going to help or not. I think he'll be an NBA player and a good one. It may take him some time and it may not."

(Read full post)

The 11th in a series of profiles of players that might be of interest to the Boston Celtics during the 2011 NBA Draft (June 23, Newark, N.J.):


Looking for someone who might still be on the board at No. 55 that the Celtics could target? SDSU's Malcolm Thomas has intriguing physical talen. From ESPN's player evaluation:

Projection: Second round

Positives: Long, athletic forward... Good shotblocker... Solid rebounder... Excellent athlete... Quick laterally... Good defender

Negative: Lacks a consistent jump shot... Undersized for his position

Ford's analysis: From May 5: "Thomas is an intriguing second-round prospect. He has terrific length and explosive leaping ability and showed off his defensive chops in the workout by blocking a number of shots. He's still pretty raw offensively and can display an inconsistent motor at times. But he's a very intriguing prospect in the second round."

In the news: From HoopsWorld: His 6-8 size makes him a tweener in the NBA, but his 7-2 wingspan allows him to play taller. Utilized as a power forward, sometimes center, at SDSU, Thomas sees himself playing the 3-4, depending on which team" in the NBA. "I feel like either way, I'm gonna be just the energy guy, the defensive guy, which I don't have a problem doing."

Payne's take: Similar to Fresno State's Greg Smith, Thomas would be an intriguing option for the Celtics at No. 55. He possesses most of the tools to be a solid role player in the NBA and every team, contender or not, can always use a self-proclaimed energy guy (something the C's found themselves lacking in the most recent postseason). With a willingness to crash the glass and defend the basket, Thomas would be a welcome addition to the Celtics' lineup, particularly if they part ways with unrestricted free-agent forward Glen Davis for good.

Greg Payne is a student intern for ESPNBoston.com

The seventh in a series of profiles of players that might be of interest to the Boston Celtics during the 2011 NBA Draft (June 23, Newark, N.J.):


Leuer, a near 7-foot power forward who shot 37 percent from 3-point range as a senior at Wisconsin, averaged 18.3 points and 7.2 reobunds over 33.5 minutes per game this past season. From ESPN's player evaluation:

Projection: First-round bubble

Positives: Sweet shooting big man... Deep range on his jumper... Good ball handler... Can create off the dribble... High basketball IQ

Negative: Lacks strength... Not explosive athletically... Just an average rebounder for his size

Ford's analysis: Leuer tested very well in Chicago. He had a 36.5-inch maximum vertical. He had a very good 10.82 second lane agility drill. He bench pressed 185 pounds 14 times. Those are great numbers for a 6-foot-11 player. Leuer is a better athlete than we give him credit for. You can't fake those numbers. But when you watch him play, he doesn't really utilize that athleticism in his game the way other big athletes (JaJuan Johnson, for example) do. So while Leuer may be a good athlete, if it doesn't translate to his game, what's the point? A few years ago we all got excited about Luke Jackson's off-the-charts combine testing. How did that turn out?

In the news: From NBA.com: “As the Wisconsin fans who were lucky enough to watch Leuer play the last couple of seasons know, he’s got a weapon or two in his offensive arsenal, befitting a man who was a 6-foot point guard as a freshman in high school and a 6-10 power forward by the time he was a junior. Unlike a lot of players who go through similar growth spurts, Leuer retained his guard skills and thus became a perfect player for Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, whose inverted offense, where guards post up and big men make plays with their perimeter passing and bomb away from 3-point range, was priceless preparation in Leuer’s quest to become a first-round draft pick.”

Payne's take: Leuer visited the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint in Waltham when the Celtics hosted their first pre-draft workout back on June 1. While Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and his staff might be intrigued by Leuer’s combination of post moves and skill along the perimeter, it’s unlikely the C’s would use their first-round pick (No. 25 overall) on the Wisconsin standout, especially if other big men like Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson, Maryland’s Jordan Williams, and even Oakland’s Keith Benson (all of whom are considered better rebounders than Leuer) are still on the board. It’s not unusual for productive four-year college players to slip in the draft, however. Former Celtic draftees Ryan Gomes and Luke Harangody are living proof that talent can slide into that second round, where Boston might find a way to get another chance at him.

Greg Payne is a student intern for ESPNBoston.com

The second in a series of profiles of players that might be of interest to the Boston Celtics during the 2011 NBA Draft (June 23, Newark, N.J.):


A 23-year-old small forward, Singler averaged 16.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists as a senior at Duke.

From ESPN's player evaluation:

Projection: Late first round, early second round

Positives: Versatile point-forward type of player... Long arms and good size for his position... Excellent midrange shooter... Good range on his jumper... Good passer, unselfish... Excellent basketball IQ... Solid rebounder

Negative: Not a great athlete... Lacks lateral quickness... Needs to add strength to his body

Ford's analysis: Back in September, Ford wrote: "At this point, Singler is the granddaddy of NCAA prospects. He chose to leave behind a first-round slot in the 2010 NBA draft for a chance to improve his stock and lead Duke to another NCAA title. From the sound of things, he might get what he's looking for." Ironically, Duke's championship hopes fizzled and Singler's stats dipped, as has his draft prospects.

In the news: Singler's made headlines in recent weeks for his mastery of impressive basketball trick shots, the latest of which came from atop Duke's chapel.

Payne's take: After helping to lead Duke to a national championship in 2010 (earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors in the process), Singler elected to return for his senior season, despite being pegged as a surefire first-round pick in the 2010 draft. Singler might not be great at any one thing, but he's accomplished in most aspects of the game, as he's a capable ball handler, rebounder, and mid-range shooter (staying all four years at Duke benefited Singler immensely). Despite seeing a drop-off in his 3-point field goal percentage during his senior season, he shot a career-high 39.9 percent from distance during his junior campaign, and possesses NBA range. Singler moves well without the ball, and is very good at curling off of screens and getting right into his shooting motion within 20 feet of the basket, and at 6-foot-8, his height makes him difficult to guard when he's looking for those types of shots. Singler will most likely make a living as a solid role player in the NBA, as he possesses all of the skills to adapt to practically any system, and he's tougher on defense than he's given credit for. Right now, Singler's projected as a late first-round pick, with the second round not out of the question. While he might not fill all of the needs the Celtics are looking for (athleticism and rebounding in particular), Singler should draw consideration from Boston if he's still on the board when it's on the clock.

Greg Payne is a student intern for ESPNBoston.com

It's no wonder that Doc Rivers was the Celtics' most sought-after free agent each of the last two summers. On top of having earned total trust from his veteran club, Rivers has cemented himself as one of the best X's and O's coaches in the NBA, particularly in the final minutes of close games -- a time when he unleashes an artistry for almost always coming up with the right play for his guys to run.

While the players are often most lauded for the winning plays, in the case of the Celtics, it always starts with Rivers and his whiteboard, setting his troops up for late-game success. Here are five of Rivers' most memorable late-game play designs from this past season:

Dec. 9: Rondo to Garnett lob silences 76ers

With accomplished late-game scorers like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on the roster, Kevin Garnett sometimes flies under the radar in the final minutes, which makes him the perfect weapon for Rivers to utilize in certain situations. The play called for Pierce and Garnett to rotate towards Rondo on the right wing, and while Pierce faked a screen on Rondo's man, Jrue Holiday, Garnett actually set one before diving to the hoop. In the chaos that ensued from the presence of two potential screeners, Philly's defenders were forced to switch, which left Holiday on Garnett and gave Rondo a perfect target for an over-the-top lob pass, which Garnett caught in mid-air and banked in, lifting Boston to a 102-101 triumph. Having worked on the play for a number of weeks leading up to this game, Rivers finally felt like it was time to test it with the game on the line.

(Read full post)

Jermaine O'Neal saved his best performances for the final part of the Celtics' season, if not necessarily by choice.

Mid-season surgery on an ailing left knee left O'Neal out of the picture for months, before an uncertain return gave way to some memorable postseason production. Despite his lengthy absences during the regular season, O'Neal contributed mightily in the opening round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks and fought valiantly through a left wrist injury that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said will require offseason surgery, as well as a stiff lower back that limited his mobility against the Miami Heat.

Here's a look back at five memorable moments from O'Neal's season:

Nov. 3: Celtics 105, Bucks 102 -- O'Neal helps C's hold off Bucks in OT

O'Neal spent the first two weeks of the regular season battling through left knee and left wrist woes that ultimately derailed his ability to produce during much of the 82-game regular-season slate. But while he was clearly laboring some nights, on others he was still showing signs of being the impactful player the Celtics were hoping he would be when they signed him to the mid-level exception during the summer. In the Celtics' 105-102 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks early in November, O'Neal put in five points, pulled down seven rebounds, and blocked four shots before fouling out with a little over a minute remaining in the extra period. But just before he fouled out for good he managed to tip in a missed layup by Ray Allen, which gave the Celtics a vital 97-95 lead that helped them escape with their third consecutive victory.

(Read full post)

The 2010-11 Celtics season was a terrific example of just how quickly things can change in the NBA. In the blink of an eye at the February trade deadline, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge orchestrated a slew of deals that altered an entire third of Boston's roster. You need not be reminded of the mixed results that came with the additions of Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic & Co., so here's a look back at five players who began the season as Celtics, but finished the campaign with other clubs:

Marquis Daniels: Daniels returned to the Celtics this past season intent on filling the role he was unable to during the 2009-10 campaign, largely due to torn ligaments in his left thumb that resulted in a 28-game absence. The results were much better the second time around, as Daniels, finally healthy for the first three months of the season, filled in behind Paul Pierce exactly the way the Celtics were hoping he'd be able to. Gliding around the court, Daniels was an accomplished scorer at times but also housed the ability to defend, rebound and feed his teammates the ball for quality looks. It was all going well until Feb. 6, when Daniels' collision with Gilbert Arenas left him with a bruised spinal cord, sadly altering his career as well as the Celtics' season. It was one of the scariest and most unfortunate injuries in recent Celtics history, and in a move that showed just how unforgiving the business side of the NBA can be, the Celtics shipped Daniels to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for a conditional 2017 second-round draft pick to clear a roster spot.

(Read full post)

Celtics guard Ray Allen might be set to turn 36 this offseason, but if he taught us one thing this past season, it's that his age cannot be associated with his production. The 14th-year shooting guard still moved around the floor like a star in his mid-20s, always had that extra gear in him when he decided to rise up for a baseline dunk, and continued to be one of the league's finest 3-point marksmen.

In fact, Allen finished the season having shot a career-high 44.4 percent from 3-point nation, far and away the highest mark of anyone on the Celtics' roster (and good for second overall in the NBA behind the San Antonio Spurs' Matt Bonner at 45.7 perent). In the playoffs, Allen was even deadlier from behind the arc, as he converted 57.1 percent of his looks from beyond the arc.

Here's a look back at five of Allen's best 3-point shooting performances of the season in chronological order:

Oct. 26: Celtics 88, Heat 80 -- 3pt: 5 of 8 (62.5%)

With Kevin Garnett struggling from the field and Paul Pierce making do with only seven total field goal attempts, Allen stood out as the offensive catalyst for the Celtics in their opening night victory over the Heat. Allen knocked down five of his eight 3-point field goal attempts, en route to a 20-point evening. While his first four came in the opening three quarters, Allen saved his final one for the final minute, burying a look from the left corner off of a feed from Pierce with 49 seconds left, transforming the Celtics' slim three-point lead into a much more comfortable six-point advantage.

(Read full post)

He might have spent the majority of the playoffs watching from the bench, but Nenad Krstic ultimately did enough during his first go-around in a Celtics uniform to warrant another look from the club this summer. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed recently that the team has interest in re-signing Krstic, who was brought over from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Kendrick Perkins trade back in February.

But why potentially invest money in a player that head coach Doc Rivers wasn't willing to rely on during the most important part of the season? To answer that question, Krstic's entire body of work needs to be examined. Several factors contributed to Krstic's diminished role in the postseason, many of which were out of his control.

First, like many of his teammates (and maybe the Celtics as a whole), Krstic fell into a bit of a slump towards the end of March, and then suffered a bone bruise in his right knee late in the first half of the Celtics' 107-97 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on March 31. Coincidentally, Jermaine O'Neal returned to the lineup that very same game, after missing several weeks while he rehabbed his surgically repaired left knee. O'Neal began playing well and shortly after he was able to play again, Krstic suffered another bone bruise in the opposite knee in practice. His slump, the knee injuries, and O'Neal's return all factored into Krstic earning meager minutes in the postseason.

(Read full post)

After being dealt to the Seattle Supersonics in the deal that brought Ray Allen to Boston back in 2007, Delonte West spent three seasons with other teams before making his way back to the Celtics. Signed to a one-year, veteran's minimum contract last September, West was welcomed back by fans, former teammates, and coaches alike.

The 2010-11 season, though, didn't exactly unfold the way he had planned. He was suspended the first 10 games of the season by the NBA for pleading guilty to weapons charges last summer, and he was forced out of the lineup again (for the majority of the season) with a right wrist fracture and a chipped bone in his right ankle. But after staggering through the first round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks, West found his groove against the Miami Heat and did all he could to keep the Celtics fighting against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and co.

Here's a look back at five memorable dates from West's season:

November 17: Regular-season debut (12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists)

The NBA suspended West for the first 10 games of the regular season, but not the preseason, which gave Celtics loyalists a taste of the impact West was capable of making for Boston. So when West was finally able to take the court again against the Washington Wizards in mid-November, he was met with a warm ovation when he checked in for the first time, and rewarded fans with a 12-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist effort, helping the C's demolish the Wizards for their seventh consecutive victory. He helped to orchestrate a second-unit that included the likes of Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, and Marquis Daniels in the fourth quarter, as the reserves pushed the lead to as many as 37 at one point. Ten of West's 12 points came in the fourth quarter.

(Read full post)

Sometimes the 'What if?' game is best left alone (and if you have an aversion to such hypotheticals, this probably isn't the best item for you to peruse). But in the case of the 2010-2011 Celtics, there were certain events that happened that you can't help but wonder about. From a certain midseason trade to several key injuries (injury-related scenarios are typically left out of the 'What if?' game, but we're going to bend the rules in this case), to a shakeup in the seedings, here are five 'What ifs?' that will make you wonder just what might have been for Boston:

What if the Celtics never traded Perkins and Robinson?

Let's get this one out of the way first since plenty of you have already thought this. Kendrick Perkins' statistics never blew anyone away. In fact, Boston's defensive numbers after the trade weren't all that different from before it. But the Celtics clearly looked like a different team once Perkins was traded away, which suggests his true value might have been what he meant to the team's psyche and its physical identity. Sure, Perkins missed the first half of the season, but he was still around his teammates, knowing he'd return at some point, and the Celtics had Shaquille O'Neal to help fill the void during that stretch. Perkins was an integral part of the team's chemistry (he's already proving himself in that area with the Thunder, even while the statistics show he's having a limited impact there), and as head coach Doc Rivers said recently, his history of playing alongside Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett gave the Celtics valuable continuity that was no longer present after the trade. Had the trade never happened, the Celtics would have rolled out their usual starting 5 -- one of the tightest, most trusting units in the league -- in the postseason, and would have boasted a bench unit that utilized Allen with the likes of Delonte West, Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, Jermaine O'Neal, and Wing Player X (a player the Celtics could have picked up off of waivers to fill the need at swingman). Does that group of players sound better than what the Celtics actually went to war with in the postseason? That's debatable. But the Celtics would have kept intact that valuable team chemistry (something that cannot be underestimated in the playoffs) and they would have most likely continued to be a tough, physical team. Perkins, for one, wouldn't have been afraid to make the likes of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James think twice about attacking the rim so relentlessly in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

(Read full post)