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Over the next few weeks, we'll take a player-by-player look at the 2009-10 roster and how each player's season unfolded, assigning a grade for their overall performance. This is the sixth in the series of report cards:

Player: Michael Finley
2009-10 averages: 5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists (Boston only)
2009-10 salary: $194,000 (Boston only); $2.5 million (total)

Season in a paragraph: Relegated to the end of the bench in San Antonio, Finley asked and received his release in early March, allowing him to sign with Boston right before the deadline to add playoff-eligible bodies. A change of scenery proved perfect for the 37-year-old Finley, who connected on 19-of-41 3-pointers (46.3 percent) over the final two months of the regular season. This after going 13-of-41 (31.7 percent) from beyond the arc with the Spurs the previous five-plus months.

Season highlight: March 15, 2010 -- In his fifth game in Boston, Finley connected on 6-of-7 shots, including a trio of trifectas, and registered a season-high 15 points in a 119-93 triumph over the Detroit Pistons. He reached double figures in scoring just once over the final 15 games of the regular season.

Season lowlight: May 26, 2010 -- Scoreless over his previous 11 playoff appearances, Finley was fading quickly and, after being abused defensively in Boston's Game 5 loss in Orlando, he was relegated to the very end of the bench. He made only two more appearances for the postseason, logging a mere five minutes in two Finals games.

Final grade: C

Teacher's notes: Finley was such a low-risk addition, it's hard to grade him much harsher. Sure, he disappeared in the postseason, which is when the Celtics were hoping he'd contribute, especially given his playoff experience. But no championship-caliber team should be leaning on a 37-year-old bench player when the games matter most. The Celtics needed a 3-point presence and hoped he might provide the sort of instant offense Eddie House accounted for during the 2008 title run. It never happened.

What's next?: Reports indicate Finley wants to play next season. It's safe to say it won't be in Boston. It was worth taking a flier on him last season, but the Celtics will likely seek a younger player who can consistently score off the pine. Finley will probably latch on with another contender, even if it's only as a late-season addition.

Honor roll: Click HERE to read past report cards.

Don't agree with teacher? Just want to sound off on Finley's 2009-10 season? Click HERE to leave a comment.

Unless the Celtics and Spurs meet in this year's NBA Finals, Michael Finley's extensive knowledge of San Antonio's playbook might be rather useless in Boston.

Heck, it might not even hold much value for one night.

Finley, who spent the past three-plus seasons with the Spurs before requesting and receiving his release earlier this month, got thrust into coach mode Saturday as Celtics coaches had him demonstrate one set San Antonio is likely to run when they visit the TD Garden Sunday night (ESPN, 8 p.m.)

Paul Pierce suggested Celtics advance scout Jamie Young didn't have to worry about his job as, "It didn't look like [Finley] knew too many of the plays," joked Pierce.

Fortunately for the Celtics, they brought Finley in for the boost they thought he could provide on the court, believing he had more left in the tank than San Antonio thought.

After averaging 3.7 points per game on 38.1 percent shooting in 25 appearances for the Spurs this season, Finley is contributing 5.8 points per game on 55.1 percent shooting in 11 games for Boston. A bit of a roll of the dice when the Celtics signed him for the prorated veteran's minimum, Finley has cemented himself a coveted spot in Boston's rotation by providing instant offense off the bench.

But that doesn't mean the Celtics didn't mind picking his brain a bit Saturday for a little competitive edge in Sunday's game, particularly as they prepare to likely be without the services of center Kendrick Perkins (left knee tendinitis).

"If [Finley] doesn't know [the playbook], then we're [in trouble]," said Rivers. "He should know it as much as anybody ... He has to be our best scout [Sunday] -- he should be better than Jamie."

Click HERE to read the full story.

WALTHAM, Mass. -- A collection of news and notes after the Boston Celtics engaged in a rare March practice session Saturday afternoon at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint:

The rundown (a quick look at the practice headlines)
* Finley's not bitter, but wants to 'destroy' old team
* Doc's injury update: Perk likely out; Nate likely in
* Pierce talks free throws, Friday's win over the Kings

Finley's not bitter, but wants to 'destroy' old team



Celtics swingman Michael Finley said there's no bitterness as he prepares to face his former team when the San Antonio Spurs visit the TD Garden Sunday night (ESPN, 8 p.m.). But he said he'd still like to "destroy" them.

"I still want to beat them, believe me," Finley said with a smile. "I don't want to go out and roll over dead for them. It's still my job to go out there and do my best to give my team the best chance to win the ball game. Although we're friends, I want to destroy them. I still want to beat them. That's not going to change. The fact that we're friends, it's something we can laugh and cheer about before or after the game, but that 48 minutes, it's all about business."

There was plenty of chatter about whether Finley can help the Celtics with some advance scouting of the Spurs after spending the last three-plus seasons in San Antonio before requesting and receiving his release earlier this month. Finley, who appeared in 25 games for the Spurs this season and averaged 3.7 points per game, has received a spark in Boston, averaging 5.8 points per game over 11 appearances. What's more, after shooting just 38.1 percent for the Spurs this season, he's shooting a robust 55.1 percent for Boston and has earned a steady spot in the rotation coming off the bench.

We'll have more on Finley and Sunday's matchup against the Spurs later on ESPNBoston.com.

Doc's injury update: Perk likely out; Nate likely in



Celtics coach Doc Rivers indicated that Kendrick Perkins is almost certainly out for Sunday's game against San Antonio, while Nate Robinson is likely to be in uniform so long as his ankle doesn't swell following Saturday's hourlong practice session.

Robinson participated fully in activities and showed no ill effects from a sprained left ankle that chased him from Friday's win over the Kings in the second quarter. Robinson injured the ankle while crashing to the floor on a layup attempt and, while he lobbied to return in the second half, the team held him out after the ankle swelled.

Perkins missed only his second game of the season Friday after Rivers asked the big man to shut it down for a couple days due to tendinitis in his left knee. If he does sit out Sunday's game, the Celtics see it as an opportunity for some rare extended rest this time of year.

"Nate looked pretty good," said Rivers. "We didn't do a lot, but he moved around well and I think Nate will play. I don't think Perk will play."

Elaborating on Perkins, Rivers added: "He may play tomorrow, but I don't think he will. Right now, I'd say no. The way we look at it, this gives him three extra days. This is the only break [this month] we have with two days off between games. He'd get Monday and Tuesday before we play [Oklahoma City] Wednesday night. If my math is right, that just gives him longer rest.

"[The knee] was bothering him and it was affecting his play. Obviously, if this was the playoffs, he'd be playing, no doubt. But it's not, so we have to take advantage. The same thing goes for Nate. We wanted him to run, get some movement today. If there's any swelling or if he's sore at all [Sunday], he will not play. Even if he feels good, we have to be healthy in the playoffs."

Rivers also sat Paul Pierce for much of Saturday's practice, noting he's a bit sore from all the recent game action, particularly after enduring all the injuries he's had this season. Pierce did participate in shooting drills to close out the session and spoke with reporters, so it seems any missed time was strictly for maintenance.

Pierce talks free throws, Friday's win over the Kings



With 12 freebies attempted in Friday's win, Pierce hopped over John Havlicek to not only become the Celtics' franchise leader in free throw attempts (5,375 overall), but also leapfrogged to No. 22 on the NBA's all-time list.

With 93 free throw attempted in March, this is already Pierce's busiest month at the line this year. Asked what the difference has been, Pierce noted, "I'm being more aggressive and going to the basket. Before, I didn't have a lot of lift."

With a trio of maladies (right knee infection, left midfoot sprain, and right thumb sprain) behind him, Pierce's numbers are soaring this month, as he's scored 22 points or more in five of his last six outings.

Pierce registered 22 points in Friday's win over the Kings, but noted the team could have been more crisp in the second half.

"We have to close out the game a little better," he said. "We kinda got lax with a 20-point lead. When you have a team that's looking forward to the offseason, 10 games left, you gotta put them away... They're playing for nothing but pride, we've been on the end of that stick before. The season is coming to an end and you're making vacation plans, but... they still got a lot of pride -- an NBA team with a lot of young guys trying to get better and compete."

BOSTON -- When the Boston Celtics went shopping for a free agent to push them over the top in the 2009-10 season, they coveted a veteran with championship experience who could space the floor and hit big perimeter shots.

So hell-bent on delivering such a talent, Celtics brass boarded a private jet to Detroit during the offseason, hoping to lure Rasheed Wallace to Boston. The Celtics went so far as to overpay for his services, offering a three-year contract to assure he'd end up in green.

And while the 35-year-old Wallace hasn't nearly lived up to expectations, the same prototype showed up on the Celtics' doorstep earlier this month when Michael Finley arrived in town after receiving a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs.

Arriving with none of the expectations assigned to Wallace, Finley has already exceeded Boston's highest hopes by providing instant offense off the bench, even as he dives into the playbook.

Finley erupted for a season-high 15 points in less than 14 minutes Monday night, connecting on 6-of-7 shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, to help the Celtics thrash the visiting Pistons 119-93 at TD Garden.

In four games with Boston, the 15th-year veteran, from the same 1995 draft class as Wallace, is averaging 8.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 14 minutes per game. That's on par with what Wallace is giving the Celtics at 9.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists over 23.1 minutes per game.

And it's costing the team more than $5 million less this season.

Fortunately for Boston, as polar opposites as the players are off the court -- Finley a sage veteran who said he'd be willing to impart wisdom to any players looking for it, while Wallace is the brash jokester who offers everyone a piece of his mind, from teammates to officials -- they've actually formed a formidable pairing on the floor.

Click HERE to read the full story in today's Daily Dime.

On a night the Celtics' bench erupted for its second-highest offensive output of the season, Rasheed Wallace produced another quiet night Friday versus Indiana.

Wallace registered six points on 2-of-4 shooting over 19 minutes, missing both 3-pointers he attempted. For the month of March, he's reached double figures just twice in eight games. His averages for the month (7.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists) are well below his season averages (9.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists), even if his percentages are up (and only because he was abysmal in February, shooting 39.8 percent overall and 17.1 percent from beyond the arc).

Despite all this, Celtics coach Doc Rivers singled out Wallace for one reason Saturday: He's doing the dirty work to free up recently acquired swingman Michael Finley.

"I think Rasheed is doing a phenomenal job setting picks to get Mike open," said Rivers. "For two guys that have not been together very long, Rasheed's realized what Michael can do and is using that body to get him open."

Despite all of Boston's struggles, particularly in the offensive end, it's reassuring to see guys like Wallace and Kendrick Perkins still utilizing their frames to help generate buckets. As Rivers noted with Perkins, it's that type of play that usually leads to easy buckets around the basket for those setting the picks and screens.

Boston's bench combined for 54 points, the second highest scoring output since posting 62 points against Philadelphia on Nov. 3. It was only the eighth time this season the Celtics' reserves combined to score 40 points or more.

Wallace and Finley came into the league together in 1995, with Wallace the fourth overall pick (one spot before Kevin Garnett), while Finley got tabbed with the 21st pick by the Phoenix Suns. From the random but true department: Finley, Nate Robinson (2005), and Rajon Rondo (2006) were also selected 21st overall by the Suns before finding their way to Boston.

WALTHAM, Mass. -- A collection of news and notes after the Boston Celtics held a rare practice Saturday at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint:

The rundown (a quick look at the practice headlines)
* First official practice a success for Finley
* Going small with Finley and first unit?
* Measuring stick game? Perk sees it both ways
* As the playoffs near, do coaches hide their playbooks?

First official practice a success for Finley



The Celtics engaged in a short, but spirited practice Saturday in advance of Sunday's showdown against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. About the most important reason for the session was to get newly acquired Michael Finley a chance to familiarize himself with the playbook in a non-game situation.

"Michael so far, and I don't want to jinx it, has been as good as I've ever had at picking stuff up," said Rivers, whose troops had officially practiced just once in Waltham since a session on Feb. 8.

"We ran a play today where [the ball-handler is] supposed to look for a big to slip and, guys who have been here haven't thrown that pass yet, but the first time [Finley] ran it, Shelden [Williams] got a layup. Maybe he's been in the league a long time, but his timing is really good."

Finley's made a quick impression, connecting on 10-of-14 shots, including 3-of-4 3-pointers, for 24 points in his first three games with Boston. He's averaging nearly double his season scoring average in Boston. Even still, Finley is still learning, as Rivers realized when Boston went to run an inbounds play Friday night and the 15th-year veteran had a look of bewilderment on his face.

"I'm my own worse critic, but I'm still a step slow to react on offensive sets," said Finley. "I'll continue to study film and the tapes they've given me. By the time the playoffs roll around, I'll be comfortable."

Finley does admit that he's already very comfortable in his new surroundings, even if he's learning on the fly.

"It's been smoother than I would have thought," said Finley. "With a different team, a different organization, a switch in conferences -- I had all those things going against me -- but these guys welcomed me with open arms and that's made the transition easier.

"It's good to be playing again, playing on a championship-caliber team -- a team that was already set, they don’t have to wait on me. I'm just trying to fit in, get some good looks at the basket. Guys are finding me, coaches are putting me in position to be effective, and I'm just making the most of it."

Going small with Finley and first unit?

Finley sneaked in a little work with the first unit (see the photo at the top of this entry) late in the session, giving the team a small look by essentially replacing Kendrick Perkins in the starting lineup (Kevin Garnett being the only big on the floor). Rivers suggested it was commonplace to work guys in different roles at the end of practice, even if the Celtics would seemingly be well-served to go with a small look at times if an opponent like the Cavaliers did the same.

"We always use different lineups, you never know with foul trouble when you might need to go small, "said Rivers. "We do it probably every practice, one or two different guys, because you never know what the rotation might be when you start a game in foul trouble."

Rivers noted that Cleveland does have the ability to go small with LeBron James at the 4, but suggested Boston could stay big against a lineup like that.

Measuring stick game? Perk sees it both ways

In one breath, Kendrick Perkins admitted he's eager to see how the Celtics stack up against the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers Sunday. But asked if it was a role reversal for Boston to be using Cleveland as a measuring stick (as opposed to the other way around, as in recent seasons), Perkins did what he does best -- he got defensive.

"In a way, but they still haven't won anything," said Perkins. "They're just the best team in the league. They haven't done anything we haven't done. They're just the best team in the league."

The Celtics went through the Cavaliers while producing championship No. 17 in 2008.

As the playoffs near, do coaches hide their playbooks?

As part of their final 18 games of the 2009-10 regular season, the Celtics play the Cavaliers and Bucks two times apiece, and also travel to meet the Raptors. That's a trio of teams they could potentially see again in the postseason. So do coaches start holding back on plays with eyes towards the playoffs?

"No, hell, I don't even have enough plays in with all these news guys," joked Rivers. "Not this early. I think everyone, right now, is still playing. It will be interesting, that last week [of the regular season], we play Milwaukee twice and Toronto, so then it gets interesting. I hope we [have to consider limiting the playbook], that means we've played well enough to do something like that."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers indicated that Michael Finley is expected to be active Tuesday night against the Bucks, according to multiple reports (1,2) from the team's shootaround this morning in Milwaukee.

Finley's activation begs the question: Who's the odd man out? One of the very few upsides to all the injuries the Celtics have faced this season is that Rivers and his staff have rarely had to make a tough decision about who sits. And even when they did have extra healthy bodies, it always seemed to be the youngest players -- Lester Hudson, J.R. Giddens and/or Bill Walker -- who ended up in a suit at the end of the bench.

No one from that youthful trio remains and the team's only real youngster -- rookie Marcus Landry -- is on assignment in Maine. That leaves 13 healthy bodies (or as healthy as you're going to get 61 games into an NBA season) and 12 active roster spots.

So who gets deactivated over the next 21 games and into the postseason? It's likely -- especially with the Celtics' track record this season -- that an injury or two will crop up along the way, but until then, someone's going to take the fall.

One option, for Tuesday night at least, might be to deactivate Tony Allen (right hip). After missing last Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Allen logged just two minutes against the Wizards Sunday. Rivers noted there was "no conspiracy," but, by his own admission, Allen is not 100 percent after taking a tumble against the Bobcats last week.

Looking longer term, it will be interesting to see if seldom-used Shelden Williams ends up as the fall guy, or if he rotates with Brian Scalabrine based on matchups. Who's your choice? Vote in our poll below.

BOSTON -- A collection of pregame news and notes before the Boston Celtics host the Washington Wizards Sunday night at the TD Garden:

* Finley meets the media, won't play vs. Wizards
* TA's hip not 100 percent, but he's active for Sunday's game
* Pregame videos: Finley warms up before game; Doc on Finley

Finley meets media, won't play vs. Wizards



Michael Finley still isn't sure what his role will be in Boston, but he knows one thing: He can't hurt the Celtics.

"I don’t know [my role], that’s the big question," said Finley. "I just think that I will not hurt anything that they 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 [Doc 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 town late Saturday night, passed his physical and finalized a free agent deal for the prorated veteran's minimum. He picked uniform No. 40, joking that Nate Robinson beat him to picking his familiar No. 4 by a couple of weeks, so he simply stuck an "imaginary zero" at the end for 40.

We also know that Finley won't be active for Sunday night's game against the Wizards as, with only a brief meeting with Boston's assistant coaches Sunday morning, he's simply not familiar enough to warrant rushing him out there (plus there's not a pressing need with the Celtics dressing 12 players already). Finley could see his first action Tuesday in Milwaukee; Boston plays five games over the next eight days, so it's likely he'll be on the court soon.

Finley discussed his departure from San Antonio (a "mutual" divorce), his injured ankle ("I'm still doing rehab ... but I'm very confident in it") and other teams that pursued him as a free agent.

"It was a handful of other teams, not only playoff teams, but championship-contending teams that were contacting my agent [Henry Thomas]," said Finley. "I just felt comfortable with the Celtics, with the pieces that they have in place, with the coach, obviously, and with some of the players I already have a relationship with. My transition here has been an easy one because of that. I have a relationship with Ray [Allen] and Marquis [Daniels], I’ve known Paul [Pierce] through the years, [and was] drafted with Kevin [Garnett] and Rasheed [Wallace], so the relationships on the team are already there. So it was easy for me to just come in and almost be one of the guys right away.”

TA back despite injured hip

Celtics guard Tony Allen admitted his injured right hip, which forced him to miss Friday's game in Philadelphia, remains sore, but he underwent plenty of treatment since falling hard on it in Wednesday's win over the Bobcats, and is ready to return to action Sunday against the Wizards.

Rivers noted that, if Allen wasn't healthy, the team wouldn't rush him back.

"I think with Tony, it's more just being healthy," said Rivers. "If he wasn't, we wouldn't play him, we'd activate Michael [Finley]. As long as he's playing, he's healthy."

Pregame Videos: Finley warms up; Doc on Finley



Check out a quick glimpse of Finley warming up before Sunday's game. The veteran ran hard for nearly a half hour, but, as Rivers pointed out, with limited time so far in Boston, he'll be inactive against the Wizards.



Rivers talked about his longstanding relationship with Finley, noting he remembers the day Finley was born.

With the addition of Michael Finley, the Celtics now boast four of nine active players that have logged 1,000 career games or more.

Finley (1,082 games) joins Kevin Garnett (1,104), Rasheed Wallace (1,066), and Ray Allen (1,001) on a list topped by Shaquille O'Neal (1,170). Paul Pierce is tied with Mike Bibby for 23rd overall at 863 games.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Celtics are just the third team in NBA history to have four or more players with over 1,000 career games. The others are the 2000-01 Toronto Raptors with Kevin Willis, Charles Oakley, Mark Jackson, and Tyrone Corbin, and the 1997-98 Rockets with Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Eddie Johnson, and Willis.

How, exactly did having that sort of veteran presence help those squads in the postseason?

The 2000-01 Raptors finished fifth in the Eastern Conference at 47-35 overall, then bowed to the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals. The 1997-98 Rocks finished eighth in the Western Conference at 41-41, then lost to the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.

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.

"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.

The most notable number in the box score from Wednesday's Celtics-Bobcats game might have been Ray Allen's minutes played at 17:42.

Eighteen minutes!? In 58 games this season, Allen has logged less than 30 minutes just four times, his previous season-low coming with 23:17 played in a 118-90 blowout of the Bulls on Oct. 30. Two quick fouls, coupled with the lopsided score, aided Allen in some rare rest Wednesday. For his career, he's only had 11 games in which he's played 18 minutes or fewer.

All season long, Celtics coach Doc Rivers has stressed how he needs to get Allen additional rest in order to keep him fresh late in games (and -- in the bigger picture -- the playoffs). Wednesday's game was a start, but the impending arrival of Michael Finley has the potential to lessen the minutes load shouldered by Allen.

Finley is coming to Boston with aspirations of winning a title, but he isn't coming to sit on the bench. Part of the reason he wanted out of San Antonio was a reduction in his minutes this season (15.8 minutes per game, down from 28.8 last season). With the flexibility Paul Pierce and Marquis Daniels offer, we envision Finley not only spelling those two natural small forwards, but allowing the Celtics some flexibility to pull Allen off the court and use some combination of Pierce, Daniels and Finley at the 2 and 3 spots.

As for how much time Finley will receive, it is hard to see him even getting much above that 15.8-minute mark he had in San Antonio, but checking the stats of Boston's recent late-season free agent acquisitions suggests Rivers might find a way to get Finley around 18 minutes per contest. Sam Cassell (17.6 minutes per game), Mikki Moore (17.7) and Stephon Marbury (18) logged quality time. That much time would put Finley on par with what Tony Allen (18.4) is averaging this season. (P.J. Brown logged only 11.6 minutes per game in 18 regular-season appearances in 2007-08).

The Celtics agreed to a deal Thursday with free agent swingman Michael Finley, bringing the 15-year veteran to Boston in a move aimed at bolstering the team’s roster for the stretch run.

"It’s official now," Finley told ESPN.com on Thursday afternoon after verbally committing to Boston. "I’m soon to be a Celtic."

“

It’s official now. I’m soon to be a Celtic.

”-- Michael Finley

The deal is not official until Finley signs, but that is expected to happen in the coming days.

Finley, who turns 37 Saturday, requested and received a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week, freeing him to sign with a title contender while maintaining his playoff eligibility.

The Celtics only had the veteran minimum available to sign Finley, whose services were reportedly coveted by a handful of other playoff-bound teams, including the Los Angles Lakers.

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.

(Read full post)

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed Wednesday on WEEI that he has some interest in acquiring Michael Finley, who was waived by the San Antonio Spurs, but cautioned that the 37-year-old guard-forward wouldn’t be the difference maker in Boston’s pursuit of another title.

“I’ll put in a phone call … and I think [he’ll have] some interest in coming here,” said Ainge. “But other teams will be interested in him too.”

Ainge said Finley would be another shooter off the bench who could fill in for Paul Pierce or Ray Allen, and that having that extra option could be useful for coach Doc Rivers.

“I certainly don’t consider Mike Finley to be someone that's going to make the difference in us winning the championship,” Ainge said, "or putting that kind of pressure on him. ... that's why I keep the pressure on our starters."

The Spurs waived Finley on Monday after the veteran free agent expressed frustration with his playing time and a desire to join a playoff contender. He was expected to clear waivers on Wednesday evening.

In downplaying the impact of a possible Finley acquisition, Ainge said the more important thing in whether the Celtics will contend in the playoffs is how the starters are playing, and whether they can stay healthy. He pointed out that Pierce has had a disappointing season, and said the C’s captain will have to step up his game and stay healthy in order for Boston to be successful the rest of the way.