The Makeover Continues

Like I was saying the other day over at MVN, perhaps the most fascinating thing to happen this summer was something that didn't happen at all, namely the proposed draft day trade of Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen and a choice of J.R. Giddens or Bill Walker for the Memphis Grizzlies' 36th pick and cash considerations. A lot of folks thought Danny had his eye on someone at pick #36. Not me. I figured Danny was trying to unload three players for one, and since the one player he'd get in return was a non-guaranteed second round pick, it was really three players for zero. Next you throw in the fact that Gabe Pruitt has a team option this year, the aforementioned proposed trade told us that Danny's goal was to totally remake the roster from spots 6-15.

Well, last night we heard the other shoe hit the floor.

Like any good (read "bad") Celtics' fan, I'm now obsessing over who were gonna lose in the Marquis Grissom, er, I mean Daniels deal. Losing Brian Scalabrine would have concerned me more before his third concussion of the season last year sent him to the same type of doctor that told Troy-Aikman to hang it up, meaning whatever reason there is to love or appreciate Vanilla Thunder is now a fleeting reason because of the brain issues (kind of ironic, don't you think, since Danny's brain doctor told Danny to sign Brian because he had a good brain type. I wonder what the brain doctor would say about Scal's brain today?).

Which brings us to the burning question of the next three days: what else will Larry exact from Danny in this deal?

Here's my break down:

I think Tony Allen would be a tough MoFo if his body didn't let him down and make him such a wuss. Gabe Pruitt is a preacher's kid, and thus where nature has left Tony Allen lacking bodily resilience, nurture has left Gabe Pruitt lacking a killer intensity. Between JR Giddens and Bill Walker, I say Giddens is the more talented, while Walker is tougher, physically and mentally, which thus makes him more of a Doc-Rivers guy.

So if we're gonna lose someone other than Scal, I guess the pecking order is to lose Gabe first, Tony Allen second, Giddens third, and Walker fourth. What say you?

Will Danny throw Gabe Pruitt under the Bus?

With the news that the Danny Ainge is targeting Brent Barry, Sam Cassell, Flip Murray, and Jamal Magloire, one must ask exactly how many free agents the Boston Celtics might sign?

Currently, they only have two roster spots. But as the Detroit Pistons showed by waiving Flip Murray, every roster spot is subjected to a cold cost-benefit analysis.

Who is the most likely candidate to get the ax if Danny were to sign three free agents instead of two?

My vote is Gabe Pruitt, who has contributed little to nothing this year.

I can almost hear the press conference.

"We had the chance to acquire three veteran contributors in Brent Barry, Sam Cassell, and Jamal Magliore, and all we had to give up was a second round draft pick. Not too bad."

I'm not saying it's gonna happen.

I'm just saying I wouldn't be surprised.

The trade would be giving up a possible second unit role player in a year or two for an improved chance at a title this year.

Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

ESPN Rookie Rankings

Glen Davis falls to 12th.

Gabe Pruitt is 37th.