Portfolio Review: There is a difference between a team maxed out at mediocrity, and a championship team that has aged its way there. The Boston Celtics find themselves looking up at the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, but have just enough fight left to compete and perhaps take advantage of the right matchup or injury to make one last run.
On the one hand, Danny Ainge has expressed no fear in blowing this up and rebuilding should the opportunity present itself. On the other, the Celtics gave up all their young assets save for Rajon Rondo in building this team. And years of building on the fringes around the Big Three have left the team bereft of young assets and high picks that teams covet in trades.
Prime assets: Ainge has expressed a willingness to move any of the Big Three. Unfortunately each of them are long past the wrong side of 30 and short of finding a sudden contender holding onto another team's potential lottery pick to deal with–as the Clippers were this summer holding the Timberwolves unprotected pick–most teams with prime young assets aren't going to give away great potential for one or two years of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, or Ray Allen.
Their absolute ceiling might be a return of boom or bust prospects (think Michael Beasley with the Miami Heat) and mid-to-late first round picks.
That leaves Rajon Rondo as the Celtics best trade asset, and the only one capable of returning a sure All-Star. He also remains the Celtics best player. Which means any deal involving Rondo should be made for one last run or at the beginning of a complete teardown of this one-time championship team.
Worthless stock: Just about everything else. From Chris Wilcox to Jermaine O'Neal to Keyon Dooling, the rest of the Celtics rotation is comprised of replacement level players–generic skill sets whose contributions could be matched by plucking younger developmental players with bigger potential. The roster has limited flexibility to improve and the entirety of this season depends on the health and legs of Allen, Garnett, Pierce, and Rondo.
The one exception, diversifying: One trade the Celtics might be able to make without blowing up their playoffs hopes is moving Ray Allen for two rotation players of a lesser quality. Shooting is an easy skill set to find, even if it's not as potent as Allen. And more depth and versatility among the lineup might give the Celtics just enough punch.
Wow! I thought this site was supposed to be free from the opinions of incompetent writers. There’s a reason you blog for a living and don’t evaluate talent. It’s posts like these that make me genuinely sick to my stomach. Calling players like Mickael Pietrus “replacement level players” with “generic skillsets” is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with modern sports writing. You have NO IDEA what you’re talking about. What’s generic about being one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and knocking down big 3 pointers over and over again? You wouldn’t know would you? Maybe it’s because you don’t watch games and only look at some metric sheet full of inconclusive, untested formulas. The disturbing thing about the direction of NBA blogs, is that it’s being forced onto us because of the popularity of sabermetrics in baseball. I miss the 96 Bulls & 2000 Lakers, before dance music & advanced statistics ran the world.
Mickael Pietrus, is that you?
Make it trivial. Make people’s lives & career’s trivial. Your CER: Comment Efficiency Rating is below average.
I appreciate your passion, and the quick analysis was not meant to be inflammatory towards the players. Pietrus has had some big moments, but simply put:
Pietrus 7.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, PER of 10.2.
Danny Green 7.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, PER of 13.5.
Relatively speaking, a generic NBA skill set is still a considerable one. And statistics only tell so much. Tonight’s Lakers v. Celtics game was an exciting one.
I apologize for my overreaction to the post. I shouldn’t have made it a personal attack. That being said;
When Danny Green effectively defends Andre Iguodala, Lebron James & Paul Pierce in consecutive playoff series’, I will reconsider your theory.
Also, while those stats suggest Green is a more effective player it does nothing to support your claim of Pietrus’s “Generic skillset” I think the ability to defend the perimeter, consistently knock down 3’s and run the floor with dynamic speed & athleticism is a rather unique skillset.
He’s a 3pt shooter that plays defense. That isn’t unique, that’s pretty regular. Almost every team has a similar type of player on a wing.
you’re wrong. The Magic never get to the finals without him; with a “replacement level player.”
If you are indeed Pietrus, you should know that there are 20+ guys just like you in the league. Don’t make me rattle them off and make you look dumb.
you should know why you’re not in an NBA front office. Thus nobody relevant respects your opinion.
And I assume you’re in an NBA front office position? Pietrus isn’t anything special. There’s a reason why he’s been with 3 teams in the last 3 years.
There’s a reason nobody relevant cares what you think.
taking personal shots because you’ve lost your argument, classy.
Stating fact isn’t a personal shot. You can choose to take it that way if you’d like.
We both know I didn’t lose any argument. Pietrus does not have a generic skillset and everything i’ve said about him is true. I win.
lol, okay!
Unsuccessful troll was unsuccessful.
Not sure what you mean. Speaking my opinion on a basketball blog that allows comments is not trolling.
Also; your comment is redundant. Your CER: Common Efficiency Rating is pretty bad right now.
*CommentEfficancyRating
Id rather keep Ray Allen for the year than Trade him for 2 role players. Ray Allen is still great and I would like to see him go out a Celtic. I hope they bring him back next year cause he is shooting lights out and is in better shape than most kids in their 20s