Ray Allen and Allen Ray, teammates at last.

If you want to inch closer to serious commentary, you can read this.

Draft coverage.

I'm not sure I'm ready for serious coverage yet, so how's about this:

Yi Jianlian nickname post

In order to prepare what lots are saying is the most likely outcome for tonight's draft, place your nominations for nicknames for Yi here

I can only take credit for a few of these:

Ancient Chinese Secret
Yi-Money (Gerald Green reference)
Chairman Yi (in honor of his workout partner)
Yi Doc Gone
Year of the Dog
The Hick From Shenzhen Provence
Red II
Feng Shui-tness

A card for Danny Ainge.

If only it were true.

The heir to Tim Wakefield?

While we kill time waiting for tonight's excitement, the Bangor Daily News has a story on Clay Buchholz. He has a knuckleball, though he says he rarely throws it.

Must-read draft coverage.

This piece by recent Penn forward Stephen Danley is worth a look, although his comments about Jeff Green seem calculated to tell you that Danley won two jump balls against Green rather than to explain why Green should be drafted.

Not the end of the beginning, but the beginning of the end?

For the last four years, Ainge's critics have repeatedly questioned his ability to restock the team with young talent while simultaneously fielding a winning playoff team built around Paul Pierce. In response, Ainge's defenders usually call for patience: 'our youth are on the verge of significant improvement', 'the team is in a great position to deal for an All Star vet', one step backward to take two steps forward, etc etc

Three straight years of declining win totals and few signs of starting-quality talent in our youth have started to lend a sort of reverse boy-who-cried-wolf air to this optimism. Except, of course, there has always been a real threat hanging over the C's: the prospect that Pierce would finally get sick of all the losing and demand out of Boston. The rumblings have gotten louder over the last two years, and plenty of folks now speculate that the balance of Pierce's effective patience can be measured in either weeks or months, but not years.

Needless to say, it doesn't make anyone feel better to have long-time NBA beat writer Adrian Wojnarowski say that Pierce's deadline is basicly Thursday night

As much as Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge wanted a bigger return for Al Jefferson and the No. 5 pick in the flat-lined, four-team blockbuster trade proposal that died on Monday, little was done for the franchise's trampled image when Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal turned out to be one more star privately disclosing disdain over the prospects of playing for the Celtics.

First, it was Phoenix's Shawn Marion insisting that he didn't want to go to Boston.

Then it was Minnesota's Kevin Garnett.

And now it's O'Neal.

Here's the problem for Ainge: According to a league executive, Paul Pierce has finally told team management that unless the Celtics come out of this week with a talented veteran co-star for him, they should expect him to make a public declaration soon after Thursday's draft that he wants a trade.

"Danny is under tremendous pressure, from inside and outside, to get a deal for someone done this week," one league executive said.

As hard as the Celtics, Pacers, Timberwolves and Lakers worked on the collapsed deal that would've sent Kevin Garnett to Los Angeles, Boston and Indiana couldn't come to terms with what they were to receive. The Pacers were uncomfortable with Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom without minimally the Lakers' pick at 19, just as the Celtics believed they had to get more back for sending Jefferson, the emerging forward, and the fifth pick to Minnesota.

Here's one real risk to all this: that in the next few days Danny makes a spectacularly bad trade-- one that hurts the franchise for years to come-- in order to keep Pierce happy and save his job. Indeed, the worst trades of Danny's tenure (the original 'Toine for Raef deal, the trade for Szczerbiak) have been made with the aspirational and in retrospect unwise goal of trying to compete while rebuilding. Celtics fans have seen enough awful trades in recent years (the draft right to Shawn Marion for Vitaly Potapenko, Joe Johnson for Tony Delk/Rodney Rodgers, Chauncey Billups for Kenny Anderson) to know how long they set back a franchise. Will we soon add an Al Jefferson and the #5 pick for [fill in name of 30-year-old former All Star here] to the list? I suspect the odds are at least 50/50.

Ainge has largely himself to blame for the situation he's in. All the ego-driven rhetoric he's put in the papers (e.g. 'we're going to be in the playoff's next year, no matter what') might work with casual fans. NBA GMs, however, appear to be circling the Celtics like sharks when there's blood in the water. Looking across the offers the Celtics are getting the general assumption seems to be that someone is going to make out like a bandit and screw the Celtics over, and every NBA GM with a vet they need to move wants to be that team. I won't be surprised if one of them gets lucky.

The worst time to make a deal is when you're desperate. The Celtics may no longer have any choice. Deal for a veteran now, and screw the future of the franchise yet again, or deal Pierce this summer for pennies on the dollar and give up the dream of being competitive for the next two-three years. The second might be the best remaining outcome possible for Celtics fans, but it certainly isn't for Ainge.

That long tail.

As a kid, I listened over and over to Impossible Dream, a LP about the 1967 Red Sox team. For a while now, I've been keeping my eyes open for a copy, and there was one auctioned in the last few days on eBay, but I was distracted and didn't get my bid in, alas. It turns out, though, that the original recordings have been digitized and are on sale as CDs. I didn't wait -- my order is in. If you want your copy, click on the photo above, or check out these recordings about sports teams from the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s (Celtics fans, take note).

(Cross-posted at AIP.)

Whatever happened to Jose Offerman?

He's with Ed Yarnall and Carl Everett on Long Island.

Ummmm, about that strategy

Ainge and the Celtics have supposedly be in the process of hoarding young players in hopes of packaging them together for a talented veteran to pair with Paul Pierce. At least this is the version of events we've been hearing for the last year, once it became clear that the previous group of veterans Ainge had assembled (Davis, Blount, Raef) collectively stank.

This strategy doesn't appear to have gone to well, perhaps in part because trading unproven youth for an All Star appears to 1) require taking advantage of another GM in a trade, 2) has been broadcast all over the league with a bullhorn, and 3) has been accompanied by such lousy play that most people assume Ainge's job is in jeapordy. Last year folks following the team got to watch the Celtics appear to repeatedly fail to get teams like Memphis and Philadelphia to take basically anything they wanted from our roster in exchange for Pau Gasol and Allen Iverson.

This last week the rumors have been all about the Celtics bids for Kevin Garnett and/or Shawn Marion, in which one of Boston's first offers out of the gate was apparently everything remotely of trade value on our roster. Today comes word that neither Garnett nor Marion are willing to play for Boston.

I'm getting the sense that the 'trade youth for an impact vet' part of the strategy doesn't go too well when combined with 'assemble mediocre youth of little trade value' and 'make your team a laughingstock reeking of such losing and pathetic incompetence that no self-respecting talented NBA player would want to waste part of their career in your own version of Siberia'

So, what's next?

CF.

A comparison:





Note the similarities across offensive categories (except for OBP), and the massive difference in salaries. Then think about Damon's ribs, which are about to put him on the DL. And then think about Crisp's catch of Hudson's gapper last night.

"It's like Bill has a new toy."

Can Adalius Thomas possibly live up to the hype?

Chad Ford speculates about the Suns

In the middle of some mid-draft rumoring, Chad provides this set of observations about the on-going Yi drama:

The Celtics' Danny Ainge traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to take a look at Yi Jianlian in a private workout. Yi worked out for nearly two hours in a gym by himself and then spent several hours with Ainge.

The same drill was repeated on Thursday with the Atlanta Hawks GM Billy Knight. On Saturday the Bulls will get a look at Yi.

The feedback from the workouts has been positive. Yi looks great in that environment. The question is whether he has the toughness to play that way when you put nine other players on the floor.

Next, Yi's camp will sit back and gauge feedback. If none of those teams commit to drafting Yi, then Sacramento likely will be the next team to visit.

If Boston is passing on Yi, I think that means we might see a trade coming. There's talk that the Suns -- to slash payroll -- might be willing to take the No. 5 pick, Theo Ratliff's expiring contract and Delonte West for Shawn Marion. That would make Paul Pierce happy.

With the No. 5 pick, the Suns could replace Marion with Yi, Jeff Green or Al Thornton. In the Suns' system, all three of those guys could play the four.

Another dark horse in the Yi sweepstakes might be Portland, which is trying to get another top 10 draft pick. As I've mentioned before, the Bulls seem like a possible trading partner, with Zach Randolph involved

A Marion trade along these lines is unlikely, because it would kick the Celtics at least $10M into the luxury tax threshold next year, assuming Al Jefferson signs an extension for something on the order of ~$12M/year.

If such a trade were to go down it would fantastic news, both because Marion is an All Star talent and because it indicates the owners are willing to lose money, short term, in order to win more games.

Pride and joy and greed and sex, That's what makes our town the best.

Does Kevin Youkilis shatter more bats than the next fellow?

Fenway Park West.

It's in Oaktown:

Some of the A's younger players had to be shocked at the sight of it, let alone the sound. It was the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night. A promising threat had suddenly died on Bobby Crosby's double-play grounder, forcing extra innings. And the place went absolutely nuts. Sheer bedlam among the 20,000-odd fans still in attendance.

Pro-Boston crowds have been a staple in Oakland since the A's moved west in 1968, just a year after Jim Lonborg and Carl Yastrzemski carried the Red Sox into the World Series, but this was radical. This might as well have been Fenway. There can't be another fan base in the country, at any level, where the sentiment shifts so thoroughly for an opposing team based some 3,000 miles away.

Bruce Jenkins in the SF Chronicle.

In his pre-Cosmos days.

Pele!

Fix the Celtics, part 2

Don't like big, elaborate trade proposals that involve multiple teams and have close to no chance of ever happening? Here's a less complicated trade proposal that makes the Celtics significantly better next year

Background: the trade stems from the persistent rumors that the Utah Jazz are looking to move Andre Kirilenko. AK is several years removed from his insane peak when he led the Jazz in basically every statistical category and became the second player in NBA history to be top 5 in the league in both steals and blocks (first: David Robinson). At the time AK was both an All Star and voted to the All-NBA defensive team. Since that time the Jazz gave him a max contract (currently four more years at ~$15M per) and then signed someone who plays his same position. To say that AK has struggled since the team moved him to SF upon the arrival of Carlos Boozer is an understatement. His play has declined, his stats are way down across the board, and everyone in the league believes he's frustrated as hell. It’s a sign of the team’s respect for him that they thought he could shift positions without missing a beat, but in retrospect it’s obviously been a big failure.

AK appears to be the walking definition of a player who needs a change of scenery. He's clearly a PF, although one that can play away from the basket on offense and defense. His relationship with Jerry Sloan and the Jazz front office may be permanently damaged after what AK seems to consider two years of mistreatment. The latest rumors are that a good faction of the locker room (Boozer, Deron Williams, Derek Fischer) don't like him personally are would be happy to see him gone. Unfortunately for Utah this is a summer when teams will be holding out to try and trade for lots of big names (KG, Jermaine O'Neal, Gasol, Ray Allen, etc). The buyers in the trade market are likely to put AK well down their wish lists. Regardless of what Utah wants, they're going to have to settle for what they can get.

When AK was playing well he was the greatest example in the last decade of a player who can dramatically influence the game without needing the ball in his hands. Think of a more talented and productive Dennis Rodman without the crazy. If he played at 80% of his peak in Boston he'd be a huge addition between Jefferson at C and Pierce at PF.

Boston gives - Wally Szczerbiak, Gerald Green, #31
Boston gets - Andre Kirilenko

Utah gives - Kirilenko
Utah gets - Szczerbiak, Green, #31

Why for Utah: AK takes up a huge part of their salary cap and hasn't made the shift to SF they way they hoped. Now there appear to be rifts developing between him, his teammates and the coaching staff. Wally and Gerald give them two natural SFs, one for now and one for later. Wally’s no more than an average-starting SF at this point, but so was Kirilenko playing out of position the last two years. Wally's contract comes off the books in two years, just when Utah will need to resign Deron Williams. The Jazz save ~$35M total on the deal, which should make their car salesman owner happy.

Why for Boston: Along with this deal the Celtics sit on the #5 pick and take Corey Brewer. A lineup of AK, Brewer and Rondo would be incredibly disruptive defensively with plenty of efficient scoring from Jefferson and Pierce. Under Doc 'I don't know what the hell I'm doing, do I have any time before the game to figure it out?' Rivers, AK would be free to run all over the court and wreck havoc. If the Celtics believe they can get Brewer later in the top 10 they could explore trading down with Minnesota (Trenton Hassell) or Chicago (Chris Duhon/Thabo Sefolosha) to get another good-defensive vet win or backup PG for roster balance and depth.



Extra bonus trade variant: If this trade for a plus-defending vet All Star doesn't work out there's always version 2.0: Ron Artest. The Kings have all but printed press releases stating that Artest will be moved this summer. The number of teams willing to take him on will likely fall somewhere between none and almost none. Sadly, this probably includes the Celtics since our ownership seems more concerned with good behavior then actually winning games. At the same time, if the Cs are going to get better they need to be prepared to take calculated risks. Nobody is going to offer them a vet All Star for nothing. Artest’s contract and on-court play are both incredibly attractive. His price will likely be even less than AK's. Even if we consummated a deal with Utah, I'd consider moving Theo Ratliff's expiring and insurance-paid deal for Artest and filler.

Ron-ron is a loose canon on the best of days. He's also only got two years left on a very reasonable contract and still as productive (although much less popular with voters) as when he was an All Star and All-NBA defensive player.

The roster below does some serious damage in the East, combining one of the best half-court defensive rotations in the league with inside-out scoring

The 07-08 Celtics

1 – Rondo, Duhon?
2/3 - Pierce, Artest, Corey Brewer, Tony Allen, Delonte West
4/5 - Jefferson, AK, Gomes, Perkins

Fix the Celtics, part 1

With all the complaining I've been doing the last 12-18 months, you'd think I would step up at some point and propose what ought to be done differently. Consider this a post towards that end.

This scenario presumes that Kevin Garnett has already picked this summer to force his way out of Minnesota, and that the Lakers are finally motivated enough by Kobe to close the deal. In this case, the Celtics help facilitate the trade and come away with some improvements that hold less value to the other teams.

BOS gives - #5, #31, MN's future first-round pick, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Veal, Powe
BOS gets - #19, Lamar Odom, Trenton Hassell

LAL gives - #19, '08 #1, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Kwame Brown
LAL gets - #31, Kevin Garnett, Mike James, Delonte West, Leon Powe

MN gives - Kevin Garnett, Mike James, Trenton Hassell
MN gets - #5, LA 08#1, MN pick, Andrew Bynum, Wally Szczerbiak, Kwame Brown, Veal

According to the ESPN trade machine, the salaries work.

Why for MN: If they're trading KG then the TWolves presumptive motivation will be to move some of their other long-term contracts, pick up picks to rebuild with, and retain some positive angle they can sell to ticket holders. In this deal MN manages to ditch two contracts (Mike James, Trenton Hassell) they've already decided to replace with younger players already on the roster (Foye, McCants). In return they get back a young lottery-talent big (Bynum), the #5 for their rumored binky Yi Jianlian, and three other draft picks. By many accounts Wally remains incredibly popular with casual basketball fans in the twin cities, providing the team with a marketing tool on a short contract. Kwame expires at the end of the year.

Why for LA: KG and Mike James help Kobe win now. Delonte is an outside-shooting guard, in the Steve Kerr mold, well suited for the triangle offense. Leon Powe provides some throw-in front-court bench depth. They can use the #31 to try and get another backup PF/C or use it in a package for someone like Nazr Mohammed. With Kobe and KG the Lakers are instant contenders out West and will have a long line of veterans willing to take short money to fill in the gaps in the roster.

Why for the Celtics: The only thing of real value the Celtic give up is the #5 pick. In return, Lamar Odom provides a great high-post complement to Jefferson on the front line and gives the Celtics someone other than Pierce to run our half-court offense through. He takes pressure off Rondo by drawing his defender away from the basket and playing the role of top-of-the-key decision-maker that that Blount and Raef filled rather ably while here. Trenton Hassell increases from zero to one the number of athletic veterans on the team who can defend multiple wing positions. He immediately relieves Pierce from spending the whole game carrying our offense while also chasing the other team's best scorer around the perimeter. With the #19 pick we take the best player available, potentially a PG prospect like Javaris Crittendon or a wing slider like Thad Young.

New Celtics lineup

starters
1 - Rondo
2/3 - Pierce, Hassell
4/5 - Jefferson, Odom

bench
1 -
2/3 - Allen, Green
4/5 - Gomes, Perk

add a vet PG signing with the LLE to spell Rondo (Chucky Atkins?) plus with the #19: Crittenton? Young?

With Pierce/Odom/Jefferson the Celtics have a front line that should be able to score consistently on anyone in the East. Rondo/Hassell/Allen/Perk should complement them with enough defense to slow down all but the best of opponents. In the East that doesn't take much. That looks to me like a 45-50 win team likely good for second-round of the playoffs