12/23/24
June 28, 2007
2nd Annual Steven A. Smith's Secret Shame NBA Draft Campfire: Join us as we malign the most unnecessarily loud individual on the face of the earth and potentially discuss the newest babes of the league.
posted by YukonGold to navel gazing at 07:38 AM - 22 comments
You promised me last year's transcript. Deliver it or the heads of 37 Signals. Or Alfredo Garcia.
posted by yerfatma at 08:14 AM on June 28, 2007
Deliver it or the heads of 37 Signals. Would you take the heads of 38 Pitches?
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 08:21 AM on June 28, 2007
Join us as we malign the most unnecessarily loud individual on the face of the earth Pierre McGuire also does NBA events?
posted by MrFrisby at 09:01 AM on June 28, 2007
Heads it is. Is this the records room?
posted by YukonGold at 10:33 AM on June 28, 2007
Can I at least get a copy of the Beatles White Album?
posted by yerfatma at 11:05 AM on June 28, 2007
Oh, man, I just came in to see how the Celtics came out, and now I think Yerfatma might be headed to Danny's house for a sock party.
posted by wfrazerjr at 09:26 PM on June 28, 2007
Anyone still gonna be around for a bit? I may jump in here in 45 or so after I run the dog out and put the SO to bed.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:49 PM on June 28, 2007
Hey, yerfatma, the C's got Ray Allen! And he's only 32, and needs ankle surgery! What an ass-kickin' year this is gonna be! Woo hoo! /looks at Larry Bird poster on the wall, weeps quietly
posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:57 AM on June 29, 2007
Huh? What's wrong with Ray Allen? They weren't going to improve next year by adding a kid. Besides, it makes Yukon a Celtics fan. So I can off-load some misery.
posted by yerfatma at 06:07 AM on June 29, 2007
Greatest. Trade. Ever. I've dreamed of this moment for the last 10 years. I'll take Ray's injury status over Wally's anyday. All the folks who want to pan this trade around Boston won't be happy with anything they do. Plus, it seems to accomplish everything the collective fan base has said in the last week. 1. Don't trade Jefferson 2. Don't trade Pierce 3. Don't make a worthless pick just because 4. Get veteran help You got all that and you remove Wally while keeping Ratliff's contract chip. Plus, Ray Allen is a shooter beyond reproach, something they did not have last year beyond Pierce. West and Green were not taking those shots and if they were, they were missing them. They still need an upgrade at C though. Anyone interested in a real inury risk with Marcus Camby?
posted by YukonGold at 07:31 AM on June 29, 2007
West and Green were not taking those shots and if they were, they were missing them. In his defense, Delonte did hit a couple of game winners and was a good shooter late in games. I will miss him and the weirdness he brought to Boston, but Ray Allen more than makes up for it. As for Camby, you have to tell me the price before I can say if I would pay. If he were just an MLE pick-up, do it in a heartbeat, because that would be the defensive presence the Cs need.
posted by yerfatma at 10:37 AM on June 29, 2007
Camby, who is scheduled to make $9 million next season, is identified as one of the organization's most tradable assets, coming off a stellar season in which he averaged a double-double and was named the NBA's defensive player of the year. Forget I said anything. What do the Cs have left to offer besides cap relief? Gerald Green, I suppose. I don't know how I'd feel about Ratliff + Green for Marcus Camby and a game of Operation.
posted by yerfatma at 10:39 AM on June 29, 2007
Let me clarify: I have nothing against Ray Allen, who I've admired for years as a class act and a great basketball player. I just feel a bit of trepidation at his age and the status of his ankle, which he showed a lot of guts by playing on with bone chips/spurs the second half of last season. That, and my absolute lack of faith in Danny Ainge, prompted my earlier comments. I'm Ray Allen, and I approved this message.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:14 PM on June 29, 2007
Though not a member of the campfire (will someone clue me as to entry procedures & criteria?), I'd like to add my take. The Ray Allen deal has removed the Celtics from the ranks of the truly bad and placed them firmly among the mediocre. The best this deal will give them for the next 1 or 2 seasons is a 5 through 8 seed in the playoffs and a first or second round exit. The reality is that they are still not competitive with Detroit, Cleveland, or Miami. They are now condemned to a draft pick in the 15 - 20 range, and what's available there? If some of the young players show dramatic improvement, maybe this will change, but with the exception of Jefferson, I don't see it happening. West was the option at point guard late in the game last season. You can't convince me that Rondo is ready to take over there. Gabe Pruitt? You are joking, aren't you? Telfair's name has come up, but his nameplate has been removed from the locker room at the practice facility. Without a veteran point and a defensive force in the middle, there are far too many holes on this team to have made the Ray Allen move. As far as a force in the middle goes, the one thing they did right might have been taking Glen "Big Baby" Davis. If they can keep him from eating the entire North End, and hire Charles Barkley to teach him how to position himself to get rebounds (and entertain reporters), they might have a sleeper. On defense, there aren't too many people who will risk the wrath of 289 pounds when driving the lane.
posted by Howard_T at 03:28 PM on June 29, 2007
I dunno Howard, they don't need anymore youth, Delonte was/ is a tweener guard (neither fish nor fowl) and mediocre in the East = "good". In the Atlantic Conference, it might mean second place. Are Miami and Detroit going to dominate for the next 3 years? If they could put someone in center who could be effective and (you knew there was an "and", right Kendrick Perkins?) stay out of foul trouble long enough to play 30 minutes, they'd be decent. Assuming (and that's two assumptions) Rondo can develop enough of a shot to force a defender to stay within shouting defense. With Paul, Ray and Al, who do you double?
posted by yerfatma at 03:49 PM on June 29, 2007
Fatty, you are right about Miami and Detroit not dominating for the next 3 years, but what about Chicago and Cleveland? I see them both being better than Boston over the long term. My whole problem with the deal is that Ainge appears to be trying to put the trim woodworking on his house before he has completed the foundation. My honest opinion is that the Celtics would be better off in 2 or 3 years by having taken any one of the "bigs" that was available at #5 last night. As far as not needing any more youth is concerned, did anyone tell that to Portland and Seattle last night? All I hear is praise for how they are reshaping their teams around young players. Maybe Paul Pierce might have been less than happy, but he's not being paid the big bucks to be happy. His job is to play the game and shut up. If he doesn't want to be a part of it, then let him go elsewhere or sit on the end of the bench. The Allen move smells too much like a short-term "let's sell a few more tickets" plan than a way to build a true competitor for the next 10 years. I have been a Celtics fan since before the days of the backcourt violation, the 10-second half court rule (now 8 seconds), and the 24-second clock (that works out to about 1951, when I was 10). It pains me to see the franchise repeatedly being hurt for the sake of the short-term gain. I gave up on the Bruins for good this year, and without some meaningful long-term moves on the part of the Celtics in the coming season, this may finish me with them too.
posted by Howard_T at 05:00 PM on June 29, 2007
Though not a member of the campfire (will someone clue me as to entry procedures & criteria?), If guest access is on you can just show up but to become a member I think you can just email DrJohnEvans with a request and he'll make you a member (that's how I did it anyway).
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:41 PM on June 29, 2007
My Raps are going to have something to say about how the East turns out next season. Miami and Detroit don't look so hot - the Bulls, Cavs and Raps do. I like my chances.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:56 PM on June 29, 2007
As far as not needing any more youth is concerned, did anyone tell that to Portland and Seattle last night? Different situations. The Celtics problem is that they've been adding young kids (really young kids, like 19) for years now. They can't keep doing it because there are 0 veterans on the team other than Pierce playing significant minutes before this deal. The Celtics have been like a development league team for a few years. They need to stop and find out if Jefferson, Gomes, a healthy Tony Allen and Gerald Green can become veteran players in the league. Adding another rookie, regardless of size, would have only set them back in my eyes (though I will admit if Hibbert had come out, I would have wanted them to take him just for the physical presence). If they can get something with their MLE and use Ratliff's contract wisely (either in a swap or to pay for Jefferson), they can start to put together a respectable team. Weedy, I like your Raptors as well. Might even swap you for them, except we'd need a third team to kick in some decent history. And even then I'd be giving up the glory of the past. Which is worth almost nothing right now.
posted by yerfatma at 09:30 AM on June 30, 2007
Vince Carter exercised his option, giving up a guaranteed $16M+ for next season. I know the Nets are unlikely to be tops in the East but still, was this a smart move on his part?
posted by billsaysthis at 02:04 PM on July 01, 2007
If he has concrete proof he will never be injured again and will stop being a bitch, sure. Otherwise I can't see someone paying more than that for him.
posted by yerfatma at 08:00 AM on July 02, 2007
spofi.campfirenow.com