Shooting for the Moon with Scalabrine

Vanilla Thunder, Nails.

Nails, Vanilla Thunder.

No, Brian Scalabrine and James Posey aren't two players most NBA fans would consider interchangeable.

Yet should a Boston Celtics fan have any hope that Brian Scalabrine can fill some of the void created by Posey's departure?

Fifteen games into the 2008-09 season, I'll score that a definite maybe.

With Tony Allen providing smothering defense against smaller wings and providing some inside offense that even Nails himself couldn't provide, what's left to backfill on the James Posey player card?

Man hugs.

Versatile defense.

Three point shooting.

Clutch play.

No one gives a man hug quite like Nails. So forget about replacing that.

Few players can be as clutch as Nails was last year, so, while not impossible, let's just say that one is a stretch, too.

But what about three balls?

Ok. Get ready for this. Are you sitting down?

On the year, Brian Scalabrine is shooting .556 from three. Over his last five games, Veal is 6-8 from range, or 75% if you don't want to do the math in your head. Considering he shot .309 from range last year, let's just say the red head is on fire.

What about defense? Scals will never be the quickest guy on the court, the fastest guy on the court, of the best leaper. But he knows how to muck things up in the middle and play within the Celtics team defense. At 6'9", more importantly, he can spend a few minutes guarding the Dirks, Duncans, Paus, and other big men who are known to take it outside on occasion. This is something Doc really can't ask Tony Allen to do, but did ask James Posey to do last year.

Four games does not a season make. I understand this.

But if Vanilla Thunder can help fill a couple of voids over four games, then he can do it again over four more, and so on and so on.

That's my story for today, anyway.