Yesterday was Monday, so of course I was off my game and missed the Monday morning post. But I was watching a game from The Big 3 yesterday and it got me thinking back to some of my favorite ballers. Not great basketball players in the NBA, but ballers. Guys that you know were kings of the court, dominating one on one, and throwing down hellacious dunks in style. AKA Gerald Green. Lets throw it back to 2007 when Gerald Green won the dunk contest when he was just 21 years old.
You know its the little things in life that bring me the most joy. The Boston Celtics bringing back Paul Pierce on a one day contract to officially retire in green is one of those things.
He’s baaaaaack #TheTruth pic.twitter.com/cwaSW5lKHU
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 17, 2017
Paul Pierce was the greatest Celtic of my lifetime for sure. I was too young to watch Larry Bird and those great 80s Celtics teams. So I grew up with those early 00s Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker teams. Pierce was the first guy in my life to get drafted, developed, become an elite NBA player and win a championship. He was the NBA Finals MVP the year they won and he’s gonna have his number in the rafters before too long. If Kendrick Perkins doesn’t get hurt in 2010 or Rasheed Wallace isn’t a complete bum, Pierce has two rings in three years with the C’s. He was competitive – routinely going head to head with LeBron in the playoffs. But above all, he was clutch. This was the guy you wanted with the ball in his hands with the clock winding down. Get Paul the ball, isolate and let him go to work. Didn’t matter who was guarding him, take him to the elbow, give him the Pierce lean to draw the contact or pull up and drain it. I had this Pierce game winner in LeBron’s eyeball as my background for a LONG time.
Pierce was also a part of one of my favorite Boston teams of all time, the 2011 team that lost to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. They only won 39 games that year and finished as the No. 4 seed, but it was the ultimate Grit and Balls team. The Big 3 was an old group of aging vets and this team was on its last legs. They had LeBron and the Heat on the ropes, who needed an otherworldly performance from LeBron to hold them off and ultimately knock the C’s out in 7. But that team was fun as hell to watch, getting by on effort, execution and just straight up balls. Sure they didn’t win the title that year, but they did spawn the best NBA playoffs commercial ever.
To sum it up, Pierce was the one constant for the Celtics over the years. He has the 2nd most points in franchise history with 24,021. He was there as a kid, he was there when the team was BAD, winning less than 30 games, the guy nearly died in Boston after getting stabbed for christ’s sake. He was there for the KG and Ray Allen team up. He was there to hoist the first Larry O’Brien trophy for Boston in 20+ years. Kevin Garnett changed the culture in Boston and they don’t win the title without Ray Allen, but Paul Pierce WAS the Celtics. The guy bled green for 15 years so it’s awesome to see him retire with the Boston Celtics.
HIT THE TRUTH HIGHLIGHTS!
I am tired of everyone pointing out the other Super Teams around the NBA just to make LeBron feel better. They had multiple great players, see they’re a Super Team too. LeBron “I’ve never been on a Super Team” James can cut the shit.
People pointing to the 2008 Celtics as an example of one is what really drives me nuts. Listen, in my mind a Super Team is a team created when the AAU super friends get together, whether its at the Olympics, offseason events, or riding banana boats together with your besties, and decide hey lets all work together to put ourselves on the same team. Which is exactly what LeBron, D Wade and Bosh did with the Heat. They constructed that shit themselves intentionally.
You ever play Madden with a Fantasy Draft team and just ROLL through the league? Yea while it sounds fun going 19-0 with some fake team, you don’t really feel the same accomplishment than when you scrap by as a Wild Card team and win the SB on All-Madden with your auto-generated backup QB because Tom Brady broke his fucking wrist in Week 4.
The 08 Celtics were a team put together by the GM through trades. Danny was shaking hands and kissing babies to put together that team.
Sure they had 3 Hall of Famers on the same team, but one of them didn’t even want to come here in KG. Thats a great, championship winning team built through trades and the draft (who do you think Danny traded to get Ray and KG?).
Rather than 3 assholes sitting on a boat saying you know what forget this team and this city, lets all join up and play together! And as much as I’ll always be like a disappointed parent in Durant going to the Warriors, even that team was built primarily through the draft. Super Team is the new buzzword of the NBA, but however you define it LeBron you sure as shit were on a few of them. End rant.
The Celtics have the opportunity to earn one of the more rare accolades in all of sports this week. They could lock up the No. 1 seed in the East with a win on Wednesday (thanks to another Cavs loss Monday night) to go along with the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Now the Celtics are still at the mercy of some goddamn ping pong balls, but thanks to the Nets being an abysmal basketball team, they’ve already locked up the best odds at the No. 1 overall pick of any team this year. So it would be pretty wild to see one of the best teams in the league (at least by record) with the No. 1 overall pick. That never happens. The last time I can remember anything close to that would probably be the Celtics winning the 1985-86 title and then drafting Len Bias No. 2 overall. Hopefully it works out a little better this time around.
Normally you need to hit rock bottom before you can start getting better in the NBA. Or just be the Cavaliers: get three No. 1 overall picks in 4 years and then have the best player in the world come back to town. That also works. But usually you have to absolutely bottom out so you can get a lottery pick and start building around that top talent from the draft. You don’t do yourself any good consistently being a No. 6 seed and then getting a draft pick in the 20’s. Thats how you become the Atlanta Hawks.
Sometimes you’ll see a rare case with a good team having one real down year, luck out with a top pick after a terrible season, then get back on track. Case and point the 1996-97 Spurs who had Tim Duncan fall into their lap. They went 59-23 in the 1995-96 season then fell to 20-62 the next year before taking Duncan No. 1 overall and then jumping back up to 56-26 and starting the run of success they’re STILL on.
But you never see a top team with a top draft pick while they’re CURRENTLY a top team. So for all the shit Trader Danny takes, the fact that he’s been able to maneuver the Celtics into this situation by trading two aging superstars in their late 30’s for multiple Lottery Picks is amazing by itself.
If the Celtics can turn just ONE of those Nets draft picks into a home run, then this is the Herschel Walker trade of the NBA that will be talked about forever. I cannot wait to watch that 30 for 30.
What if I told you a General Manager took an aging roster and turned them into a Lottery ticket? This is the story of how Danny Ainge swindled the suddenly cash happy and attention starved Brooklyn Nets out of a bushel of NBA Lottery picks and got the Celtics back to the promise land with the quickest rebuild in league history. Trader Danny. Directed by Bill Simmons.
Or they’ll continue to butcher draft picks with players that aren’t good enough to make the roster so they have to stash them in Europe and the Celtics fade back into mediocrity. That is a frighteningly real possibility. But you gotta figure Danny is due to hit on a stud. Maybe that superstar is already here in Jaylen Brown, but it sure as shit won’t hurt for Danny to get 2 more cracks at it. Since the Nets ain’t getting better any time soon and we’ve got their picks both this year and next. Or maybe Danny swings the draft pick for a guy like Paul George. Either way the Celtics are gonna need another superstar to make a real run at another Larry O’Brien trophy.
We’ll see, but as loud as that clock is ticking on this window of opportunity to make something big happen, name one GM in the entire freaking league who wouldn’t sell his soul to be in Ainge’s position right now. Just don’t blow it, Danny.
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.
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:
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.
CBS Boston – The Knicks desperately seem to want to move [Carmelo Anthony] and the Clippers are reportedly interested. The problem? The Clippers don’t really have the valuable assets necessary in order to make a deal happen. That’s where the Celtics come in, according to the Boston Globe...Well, there haven’t been any reports of specific players rumored to be involved, but CBS Sports.com’s Matt Moore has a breakdown of a trade the could work for everybody involved using ESPN’s Trade Machine. In Moore’s trade, the Celtics would get: Guard JJ Redick, small forward Paul Pierce, and forward Luc-Richard Mbah Moute. The Knicks receive: Forward Amir Johnson, forward Jonas Jerebko, and guard Austin Rivers. The Clippers receive: Forward Carmelo Anthony
Soo the Celtics can, in theory, give up Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko to get JJ Redick, Paul Pierce and Luc-Richard Mbah Moute?
JJ Redick would be *deadly* on this Celtics team. Isaiah driving to the hoop and dishing out to a legitimate 3-point specialist? Buckets. And Paul Pierce would get to retire a Celtic. Granted I don’t know much about Moute, but I love that trade. Always been a huge Redick fan and all we have to give up is Amir and Jerebko? Best of luck guys. All just to help facilitate the Carmelo to LA for another first round playoff exit? Sure, sign me up.
Trader Danny is always lying in the weeds just waiting for shit like this. Oh you NEED to move a disgruntled, overpaid player? How can I be of assistance? Melo to the Clippers, lock it up. Draft Pick Danny doesn’t even have to give up any coveted second rounders!
ESPN – Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens seems flattered when it’s suggested to him that free agents might consider Boston as a destination because of his presence, but he firmly believes that the 17 championship banners that hang above the TD Garden floor are the team’s biggest attraction.
This is what drives me nuts about the Celtics every summer. I’m sure Stevens is just being modest trying to push the focus off himself, but let’s be real. I appreciate the history of the Celtics — Red Auerbach, 17 titles, Russell, Bird etc. Danny Ainge appreciates the history of the Celtics so do Wyc Grousbeck and all the fans. But NBA players don’t give a shit. Nothing better than a little self awareness, guys.
Not to say there aren’t players out there who really do love the history like Pierce and KG, but those guys learned to love it. Garnett initially refused a trade to come to Boston. It was only after playing here that he grew to love the city, the banners and of course Gino. That’s why the Celtics have never landed a big free agent…ever. Guys want to play in LA and schmooze or down in South Beach and duck state taxes. So I just can’t buy into the pipe dream yet again that this free agent class is the one that will be full of history students. The only way to really rebuild this team is through mammoth, monster trades. Make these guys realize what they’re missing.
via Boston Globe
The Bulls and the Mess They’re In – This is pretty much exactly what the Celtics need, a team that for whatever reason is on the brink of blowing it up and willing to move their star centerpiece. Trader Danny, waiting like a snake in the grass for the past 3 years and stockpiling draft picks, is ready to strike. Why the Bulls want to move Jimmy Butler does not concern me, but if Chris Mannix’s report is right and they do indeed want to move on, then fully expect Danny to be first in line. If the C’s can pry Butler out of Chicago then they are in business. Assuming they hold onto Isaiah and team him up with Butler, that is a dynamic 1-2 scoring punch. The Celtics haven’t really had a pure scorer who can take over a game since Pierce was traded. Isaiah has been the best thing since, but still at times can be smothered by bigger defenders. Bring in Butler to take over that role and they would both flourish.
Not to mention, all it takes is one. Get one piece in here and it makes it so much easier to bring in another all-star. Don’t forget as much as Garnett loved Boston and raves about it to this day, he wanted no part of the Celtics until they moved Jeff Green (the No. 5 pick that year) for Ray Allen. Only then did he agree to waive his no-trade and go to the C’s. So my point is, do whatever you can to land a budding superstar and the rest can very easily fall into place, rather than banking on winning the goddamn Draft Lottery again and waiting on an 18 year old to turn into that superstar.
The 300s 