Category: Celtics

I Am SHOCKED the NFL Has Yet to Accuse the Patriots of Collusion for Potential Malcolm Butler Trade

By on • ( Leave a comment )

As much as I would hate to see the Patriots trade a young stud cornerback in his prime, this would be the ultimate wink-wink trade between Bill Belichick and good friend Sean Payton.

I mean, the Patriots trade their only 1st round pick to the Saints for Brandin Cooks, who was originally rumored to be demanding a much higher price tag. Then not long after that trade becomes official, the rumors start to fly about the Patriots trading Malcolm Butler to the Saints for a 1st round pick. The 32nd overall pick. The same exact pick the Patriots just traded to the Saints.

Basically, if this trade were to go through, the Pats essentially traded Malcolm Butler and a 3rd round pick to the Saints for Brandin Cooks and a 4th rounder, with the 32nd overall pick coming back to New England. With all the subtle shit the Pats try and pull to get around the rules, I cannot believe that I don’t hear people screaming from the rooftops about collusion.

Remember when the NBA just straight up nixed the Hornets’ Chris Paul trade to the Lakers just because? Legit just said, nope fuck that you’re not getting Chris Paul. Or even the more directly relevant situation, when the Celtics basically tried to trade Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to the Clippers for DeAndre Jordan and the NBA shut that down too. The NBA didn’t like the fact that the C’s were combining a player and a coach in a deal so they nixed the deal. The C’s later dealt Doc to the Clippers for a 1st round pick (with both KG and DeAndre being removed), but if Doc to the Clippers and KG to the clippers were two separate deals from the start no one would have said shit, but because they were combined into one deal initially the NBA didn’t like it and basically screwed the Celtics out of any shot of landing DeAndre for KG later because the league viewed it as collusion; a quid pro quo deal based around the Doc deal. Total horse shit.

Maybe thats what Belichick learned. The guy is an elephant. Separate the deals. Leave no room for opposition and then execute ruthlessly. Dude is like a Lannister really. I guess no one is bitching because Butler getting traded actually makes the Patriots worse, not better. But keep your ears open. The Patriots are “always cheating” so its only a matter of time until that narrative comes up again.

LaVar Ball is Going to Get His Son Lonzo Killed in the NBA

By on • ( Leave a comment )

ESPN – LeBron James directed a cease-and-desist order of sorts on Tuesday to LaVar Ball, the outspoken father of three — including star UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball — who said earlier this month that his children are set up better for future success than those of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ star. “Keep my kids’ name out of your mouth. Keep my family out of your mouth,” James said of LaVar Ball to ESPN on Tuesday

“Seriously Dad, stop. LeBron is going to make a point out of posterizing me when they play the Celtics next year.” Something like that is how I imagine the Ball household right now with LaVar talking shit non-stop. Lonzo must be loving this. Your father just chirping the two guys who have won 6 of the last 8 MVPs in LeBron and Steph Curry. Because I’m sure next fall when they see the rookie on the court they’re not going to make it a point to try and stuff Lonzo in a locker just to spite his loudmouth father.

LaMar basically said LeBron’s kids are gonna be bums because their father was too good. And LeBron rightfully so told LaMar to shut the fuck up. I mean, I get riled up when someone says something about my dog so LeBron and I are basically on the same page here. Godspeed Lonzo. Do not be surprised when LeBron is targeting you with off the backboard slams because of some shit your dad said.

GRUDGE ALERT: Rondo, Pierce and Garnett are Planning to Celebrate the 2008 Championship. Without Ray Allen

By on • ( Leave a comment )

The Undefeated – “Just like Rajon Rondo used to set up the fast break for the Boston Celtics, he is setting up a vacation with his former Celtics teammates from the 2008 NBA championship team to celebrate the nearing of the 10-year anniversary of their title. This party, however, doesn’t include an invite to ex-Celtics star guard Ray Allen. “I asked a couple of the guys. I got a no, a no head shake,” said Rondo to The Undefeated when asked why Allen wasn’t invited.”

If there’s anyone that can hold a grudge it’s Rajon fucking Rondo. It’s been five years since Ray Allen ditched the Celtics to chase a ring with blood rival Miami. And Rajon still wants Ray dead.

“It will be a long story about that, but it is what it is,” Rondo, who plays for the Chicago Bulls, told The Undefeated. “I don’t know a good analogy to put this in. It just wasn’t the greatest separation. It wasn’t the greatest thing that could’ve happened to us as a team, a bond. We were at war with those guys [Miami]. To go with the enemy, that’s unheard-of in sports. Well, it’s not so unheard of. It’s damn near common now.”

I actually find it refreshing. Everyone is friends in the NBA now. It’s the AAU generation, all these guys grew up playing on teams together and then once they’re playing against each other in the NBA they just publicly opine about how they wanna play together or in Miami’s case massively collude to get it done. We need more venom in this league.

Now I’m sure all those stories over the years of how Rajon and Ray just didn’t ever get along contribute to this. For whatever reason they just always kind hated each other. Kinda like Jesus Shuttlesworth and his dad really, but I digress…

It’s not only Rondo though. Garnett and Pierce are like old college roommates, they’re still boys. But Ray never seems to be included in that circle of trust. It sounds like he always kind of kept his teammates at arms length, even in the good old days. I remember a story of how Ray was the only guy not to show up for teammates’ charity events like a total asshole. This isn’t football where theres like 50+ guys on the roster. This is basketball where you only have to deal with 10-12 guys.

Even Pierce let some venom slip in an old interview. This seems more like someone who got dumped w/o explanation and harbors resentment for the way it ended.

“That was a tough situation because we thought it was betrayal,” Pierce said. “That’s why the whole thing evolved like it did with us not talking to him. Ray didn’t really have the best relationship with Rondo anyway. That was nothing. [Rondo], me and Kevin, he didn’t have any talk with us [before his Miami decision].”

And don’t forget when KG basically told Ray to go piss up a rope when he came back as a member of the Heat and tried to dap him up. Denied.

It’s a shame the Celtics didn’t win another title when Garnett, Pierce and Allen were all here. Seems like they definitely should’ve won 2 if not 3 rings together. Ray did exactly what he set out to do though. He jumped ship and singlehandedly saved LeBron’s ass and pretty much delivered him a ring with that corner 3 in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals, which is probably what hurts his former teammates the most.

Celtics Turn Golden State Green

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Obviously a huge win for the Celtics last night. Even if the Warriors are banged up, it’s not easy to win in Oakland. The win is the Celtics’ second-straight in Oakland, after snapping the Warriors’ 54-game home win streak almost a year ago. The last team to win back-to-back games at Oracle Arena was the San Antonio Spurs in 2014.

The win also evens the Celtics record on this road trip at 2-2. After tough losses in Phoenix and against the Clippers, a disappointment at Golden State felt almost imminent. Now, the Celtics have a chance to win in Denver tomorrow night and finish the west coast trip at 3-2. Wouldn’t be a bad showing for five games in eight days in the Pacific Time Zone.

Last night’s win also keeps the Celtics a game ahead of Washington for the second spot in the East. There’s a lot of basketball left to be played, but after tomorrow night’s game in Denver 11 0f the Celtics’ final 16 games will be at home. If the Celtics can wrap up the number two seed heading into the playoffs, maybe Brad Stevens can finally get off the playoff schneid.

Ep 005 of The 300s Podcast Has Arrived!

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Episode 005 of The 300s Podcast is straight fire flames. We talk the early mayhem that is NFL Free Agency, Jimmy G on the trading block, Bruins surging after canning Claude Julien, the Celtics making zero moves at the trade deadline, Red Sox Spring Training and why the World Baseball Classic is a disaster.

Big Baby Davis Calls Doc Rivers Overrated and Lucky as Hell with Celtics

By on • ( Leave a comment )

CSNNE – “Appearing on “In the Zone with Chris Broussard,” the former Celtics big man expressed his frustrations with Doc Rivers, under whom he won the only NBA title of his career…Because what Doc had in ’08 was special and he was lucky as hell. Lucky as hell. The year before that, they was wearing trash bags. [He could have gotten fired and] nobody would [make] a peep.”

There is one reason and one reason only that Glen Davis is ripping Doc Rivers and that is because of his nickname; Big Baby. I always liked Big Baby, he was a decent player, a key bench guy for the 07 championship team and he was a ton of fun to watch back in the Shrek and Donkey days with Nate Robinson:

bigbabyshrekanddonkey

But this just sounds like the sourest of grapes. I think I can actually pinpoint the exact moment that Baby snapped and turned on Doc.

Now I also think that its fair game to question and criticize Doc. Back before the Big 3 era Doc wasn’t an up and coming genius of a coach. In fact I remember Bill Simmons had a near crusade to get the guy fired. Then once the Celtics had 3 Hall of Famers on the squad he was all of a sudden a better coach. It’s a lot easier to coach 3 HOF talents hungry as hell to win, but I think thats selling the guy a bit short because how many talented teams do we see implode, especially with older players. The argument is there though. Especially when you look at Doc’s Clippers and how they’ve never gotten over the hump despite being loaded with talent. And the Celtics have been just fine post-Doc with Brad Stevens at the helm.

But then you read quotes like this:

“I would play good games and Doc wouldn’t even give me, ‘Hey, what up?’ I’d play a great game and he’d be, ‘Go do it again.’ You know, you want to hear that, ‘Hey, great job, kid. Good job, man. Keep it up,’ but not, ‘Go do it again.”

And it sounds like Glen Davis is pissed because the coach never took him to Denny’s for a Grand Slam after a game.

Never forget the good times though, like when he hit that game winner against Orlando in the playoffs and almost truck sticked a little kid celebrating.

Danny Ainge is Wary of Becoming the Knicks By Trading All His Assets and I Can’t Blame Him

By on • ( Leave a comment )

carmeloceltics

I’m as frustrated as the rest of you that the Celtics didn’t make any trades, not a single move, but at the risk of sounding like a Green Teamer did we really want to blow up our team for another guy? If you believe the rumors of what Larry Legend wanted for Paul George (both Brooklyn picks and 3/4 of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder) then there’s no way in hell you make that deal.

I don’t even need to leave the Atlantic Conference to point out the last blockbuster trade a team gutted their roster to acquire a new stud; the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks sent Wilson Chandler (16.4 ppg that year), Raymond Felton (17.1 ppg that year), Danilo Gallinari (15.9 ppg that year), Timofey Mozgov and a 2014 first-round draft pick and two second-round picks to the Nuggets. All this when Melo was set to become a free agent like 4 months later. So say what you want, but the Knicks did themselves no favors in gutting the roster. “Felton, Gallinari, Mozgov and Chandler were four of New York’s top six players,” this 2011 ESPN article reminds us.

Since making the trade the Knicks have finished:

  • 2011: 36-30 (lost in the 1st round)
  • 2012: 54-28 (lost in the Eastern Conf. semis)
  • 2013: 37-45
  • 2014: 17-65
  • 2015: 32-50

Not great. And with exactly two playoff appearances, never making it past the second round. My point is just taking every asset you have and throwing it against the wall to get one player doesn’t guarantee success. In fact its the main reason Carmelo is so untradeable now, he’s got an albatross of a contract that is weighing down a team’s cap so much that they can’t justify giving up much of any assets for him at all. Oh the irony.

I didn’t mention Boogie Cousins because I 100% wanted him but for whatever reason the Celtics were never in on him. They just flat out did not want the guy. So as shitty as it sounds, Trader Danny will continue to lay in the weeds waiting to bite some unsuspecting GM in the ass. Or the price of Paul George or Jimmy Butler goes down.

PS – Regardless of the fact the Knicks still aren’t any good, that Melo MSG “Coming Home” commercial still absolutely BANGS 6 years later.

I really hope the C’s/Nets trade becomes the Herschel Walker trade of the NBA

By on • ( 1 Comment )

ainge

Business Insider – The infamous Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade with the Brooklyn Nets is the gift that keeps on giving for the Boston Celtics.

In 2013, the Celtics sent Pierce, Garnett, and Jason Terry to Brooklyn as the Nets tried to build a star-packed team to rival the Miami Heat. In exchange, along with some role players, the Celtics received the Nets’ 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks, with the right to swap picks in 2017.

We’re still in the midst of the annual NBA Trade Deadline Sweepstakes and everyone knows that the Celtics have a big stack of chips to play with if they want to get in on the fun this year. I’m writing this blog because I still have to remind myself of the Brink’s Job Trader Danny pulled off in 2013.

In exchange for their picks, the Nets got three guys that would be at least 36 years old by opening night with 47 combined seasons of experience. On what planet did they think that would work out well?

People were afraid the new Big Three would have a very short window in Boston when Ainge put that group together in 2007. The Celtics wound up getting six seasons out Garnett and Pierce (five out of Ray Allen), and that felt like a success. More championships would have been nice, but one championship, two trips to the Finals and a renewed relevancy were more than the Celtics had offered at any other time since Larry Bird’s retirement. How long did the Nets think they could keep the band together?

The Nets got 206 games out of Garnett, Pierce and Terry between 2013 and 2015 and one playoff series win. All three have since moved on from the Nets.

I’d rather lose by ten points going for the win than lose by one point and look back and say “Goddamn, we should have gone for the win”. But right now, it looks like the Nets are gonna lose by 50.

Theres Nothing Crueler in This World Than Waiting for a Woj Bomb

By on • ( Leave a comment )

ainge-hoarder
So as everyone already knows, Isaiah Thomas set the internet on fire tonight with this tweet:

Maybe that means the next big Celtics trade is imminent? Or maybe it means Isaiah’s kids got a hold of his phone? Or maybe IT just wants to watch the world burn. But the last time Isaiah tweeted out the cryptic eye balls emoji the Celtics signed their biggest free agent ever.

So who the hell knows, but now I’m checking my phone every 30 seconds like a goddamn junkie waiting for a call from his dealer. Need my fix from Woj. Drop the Woj bomb, Adrian. Drop it.