8.17.2017

Al Jefferson, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen: The New Big Three?

June 29, 2007

Well, at least they appeased Mr. Pierce.

The Celtics went out and got him a peer - another aging All-Star, another guy with creaky joints.



Ray Allen, even if he missed 27 games last year in a season abbreviated by two ankle surgeries, fits the sidekick criteria the Celtics captain laid down.

But in trading away the fifth pick in a very deep draft last night - along with Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak (who filled the double ankle surgery matching requirement) - the Celtics just shortened their window.

Any shorter and they'll bruise their fingers when the gap closes.

They are now expected to win tomorrow. If Al Jefferson improves as management now believes he will, points won't be a problem.

Defense? Think Paul Westhead, Doug Moe and Don Nelson instead of Jim O'Brien and Pat Riley. You still may want to say ``stop,'' but, like the Beatles, they'll say ``go, go, go'' when the opposition looks toward the rim.

Tony Allen better get healthy soon. He and Rajon Rondo will work overtime trying to plug all the holes while the new big three strains to get back.

But C's director of basketball operations Danny Ainge also filled up the armory last night.

Ray Allen averaged 26.4 points per game last season and has the kind of shooting range that will open the floor for both Pierce (25 ppg in 47 games last season) and Jefferson (16 in 69).

This trio also missed a combined 75 games last season. And for a Celtics team that led the league with 310 man games lost to injury in 2006-07, that's an alarming number.

But Ainge has a well-worn pattern of trading for damaged goods.

With ownership's blessing, he shipped Antoine Walker for Raef LaFrentz, knowing that the forward had knee issues.

Ainge also knew that Szczerbiak had a knee issue (which eventually required surgery) when he acquired him from Minnesota two years ago.

So history repeats itself.

Allen - clearly the most talented player Ainge has traded for - presents yet another injurious dilemma.

The former UConn star also had ankle surgery in 2003, and when the problem cropped up again last season, he decided to have both joints cut in an attempt to take care of the problem for good.

The good news is that, like Pierce, Allen is impeccably conditioned.

He's also one of the toughest characters in the league, while also being one of the most graceful. When asked by Sonics management to have surgery last season, Allen initially refused. He wanted to finish the season despite Seattle's significant struggles. He finally relented with 15 games left, had the surgery, and the Sonics slipped into a Celtics-like sleep.

Perhaps ankle surgeries took care of the problem.

Maybe Allen, a great jump-shooter who NEEDS healthy ankles, has taken care of the problem.

In that case, with Pierce and Jefferson also on the floor, the Celtics will bear more than passing resemblance to the old Nets of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin - minus the defense.

It should be enough to make them players in the Eastern Conference.

Indeed, you should now be very grateful for the Eastern Conference.

6 comments:

FLCeltsFan said...

Interesting that this was the take before the KG trade. I loved Big Al, but he is like the anti-KG. He's got great offensive moves, but even now, really struggles to play any defense while KG was all about defense. I don't see the Celtics winning the title without KG. He was the key to that team.

Lex said...

KG was true manna from heaven. : )

Lex said...

I have an entire article that will be posted later indicating much of celtic nation was against acquiring KG

FLCeltsFan said...

I wasn't big on the move at first, but soon warmed to it. Just like I really didn't want to trade Pierce and KG when Danny did. I'm emotional and get attached to players but in hindsight both moves were the right ones. I'll never agree that trading Perk was right, however.

Lex said...

or at least manna from mchale...

: )

Lex said...

The perk trade was a puzzler. I was convinced that Shak was faking his injuries so he'd have more gas in the tank for the playoffs.