New Orleans has to shed some salary before it can do anything significant or construct a sign-and-trade deal for Baby the Celtics would accept. --LINK
New Orleans is still considered a potential destination for Glen Davis, but the Hornets are struggling financially and might have to move Tyson Chandler before getting into any sign and trade discussions with the Celtics. --LINK
The assumption here, of course, is that the Celtics would be receiving a certain member of the 2008 championship team in return. A guy who plays both guard and forward, plays tough D, hits threes, and gives man hugs like no other. I like James Posey, and his contract length seems to coincide perfectly with the championship window for the Celtics--three years. As noted earlier, however, Nails will turn 33 this season, while BBD is 23. That means in year three of the championship window, Nails will be 36 while BBD will be 26 (I know. Can you believe it? I can do subtraction, too). Thus, BBD will likely still be improving, while Nails will likely be winding down.
But I guess if we were all just fired up about a 37-year-old Grant Hill who's never been known as a tenacious defender, we can also get fired up about a James Posey who doesn't turn 36 until 2013.
Showing posts with label Grant Hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grant Hill. Show all posts
7.15.2009
7.07.2009
"I'd Rather Have Sheed than Artest"
The Boston Celtics are reportedly about to sign Rasheed Wallace, another notorious bad guy. Still, I'd rather have him than Artest.
--Jim Carlisle, Ventura County Star, Calif.
Probably rather have Grant Hill, too, huh?
--Jim Carlisle, Ventura County Star, Calif.
Probably rather have Grant Hill, too, huh?
Speaking of Payton and Malone
Okay, I didn't go Ostrich for very long.
But if the Celtics want to pry Grant Hill away from the steely clutches of that championship juggernaut known as the New York Knicks, maybe they should take a page out of the book of Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Before Payton and Malone both agreed to sign with the Lakers for the Vet's minimum, they contacted each other to talk about it. I'm not saying we need the entire Celtics entourage of Wyc, Danny, Doc, and the Big 3 to corner Hill until he agrees to sign. But maybe, just maybe Rasheed should reach out to Hill and give him a little pep talk (and if that doesn't work, then fly in everyone from Waltham).
We just can't let Hill go quietly into the night with such a bad career move. Is there anything we can do to get Coach K on our side? I mean we're talking about the 2009 New York Knicks. This isn't Pat Riley's New York Knicks. This isn't even Bernard King's New York Knicks. This is a team that doesn't have a prayer of competing for a championship any time in the near future.
If Hill chooses the Knicks, winning just must not be a priority for him.
But if the Celtics want to pry Grant Hill away from the steely clutches of that championship juggernaut known as the New York Knicks, maybe they should take a page out of the book of Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Before Payton and Malone both agreed to sign with the Lakers for the Vet's minimum, they contacted each other to talk about it. I'm not saying we need the entire Celtics entourage of Wyc, Danny, Doc, and the Big 3 to corner Hill until he agrees to sign. But maybe, just maybe Rasheed should reach out to Hill and give him a little pep talk (and if that doesn't work, then fly in everyone from Waltham).
We just can't let Hill go quietly into the night with such a bad career move. Is there anything we can do to get Coach K on our side? I mean we're talking about the 2009 New York Knicks. This isn't Pat Riley's New York Knicks. This isn't even Bernard King's New York Knicks. This is a team that doesn't have a prayer of competing for a championship any time in the near future.
If Hill chooses the Knicks, winning just must not be a priority for him.
You Should Be Dancin', Yeah
I'm all for equality of the sexes, even equality of spousal decisionmaking. A few years back my wife and I moved out of state so I could take advantage of a job opportunity. My wife hated it there, so we moved back, even though I had to take a pay-cut and a demotion to do it. But that's what you do when you're married. You make the spouse happy. I get all that.
Someone cue the Bee Gees (Sorry, Michael. I know it's the day of your Memorial Service and all).
Still, I'm struggling to grapple with the most recent twist in the Grant Hill saga. Hill may choose to play for the New York Knicks because his wife is a singer. Grant Hill is a five-time All-NBAer and former Rookie of the Year. While his career is winding down, Hill could still be thinking about making a case for the Hall. As a players whose teams have never won a playoff series, a Hall of Fame nod doesn't seem likely right now. Add a ring or two to his resume, and the Hall of Fame bid isn't out of the question.
I hate to play marriage counselor here, but I gotta believe that Hill and his wife can reach a compromise. If Hill really wants to win, the New York Knicks ain't the place to do it. If his wife really wants to sing, is New York really that far from Boston? So until I hear that Grant Hill has put pen to paper in the Big Apple, I'm officially going ostrich and putting my head in the sand.
Someone cue the Bee Gees (Sorry, Michael. I know it's the day of your Memorial Service and all).
Still, I'm struggling to grapple with the most recent twist in the Grant Hill saga. Hill may choose to play for the New York Knicks because his wife is a singer. Grant Hill is a five-time All-NBAer and former Rookie of the Year. While his career is winding down, Hill could still be thinking about making a case for the Hall. As a players whose teams have never won a playoff series, a Hall of Fame nod doesn't seem likely right now. Add a ring or two to his resume, and the Hall of Fame bid isn't out of the question.
I hate to play marriage counselor here, but I gotta believe that Hill and his wife can reach a compromise. If Hill really wants to win, the New York Knicks ain't the place to do it. If his wife really wants to sing, is New York really that far from Boston? So until I hear that Grant Hill has put pen to paper in the Big Apple, I'm officially going ostrich and putting my head in the sand.
7.06.2009
Duke v. North Carolina
Tar Heels Rule Tobacco Road
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
March 6, 1994
Durham, N.C. - For a game that wasn't supposed to be for more than neighborhood bragging rights, No. 5 North Carolina's 87-77 victory over No. 2 Duke last night was a keeper. Host Duke already had wrapped up the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and the Tar Heels had cemented second place for next week's conference tournament. Both teams almost certainly will be seeded no worse than second in the NCAA Tournament.
So it was just a couple of schools eight miles apart playing the last game of the regular season, right? "It's the best we've played all year," North Carolina coach Dean Smith said. "I thought it was just a tremendously well-played game."
"It was a terrific basketball game, absolutely a terrific game," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "To see all these kids playing so hard for both teams was sensational." North Carolina (24-6, 11-5) broke open the game in the final minutes with a 15-6 run to take an 83-72 lead with 2:48 left.
"They wore us out and that was apparent over the last 10 minutes of the game," Krzyzewski said. "We just couldn't stop them." The Blue Devils (22-4, 12-4) had only 10 points in the final six minutes, and four of those came in the final 40 seconds after the Tar Heels were ahead 87-73.
"The only difference was that Duke missed shots during the last six minutes and we made ours," Smith said.
One player who stood out for North Carolina was Donald Williams, the most outstanding player in the Final Four last season when the Tar Heels won the national championship. He finished with 20 points on 9-for-18 shooting, most of his points coming on drives. "I know people were aware of my three-point shots. A lot of teams are running out at me, trying to take that from me so I just try to penetrate and make the easy play," he said.
Williams was 1-for-3 on three-pointers, but the one he made turned the game around. A dunk by Eric Meek brought Duke within 68-66 with 6:45 to play. Rasheed Wallace came right back with a dunk at the other end, and then Williams hit his three-pointer with 6:12 left. Duke was within 77-72 with 4:19 to play when Williams, who has been bothered by various injuries this season and has missed nine games, hit a driving jumper and then a turnaround from the foul line. Jeff McInnis sandwiched jumpers around a free throw by Grant Hill and the Tar Heels were up 85-73 with 2:03 to play.
Wallace had 14 points for North Carolina, which beat Duke 89-78 at Chapel Hill last month. Cherokee Parks scored 23 points for Duke, which had won five striaght. Hill added 18 and Meek 12. "We just didn't play at that championship level for 40 minutes," Hill said. "The world's not over and I think we're a good team that still has a lot to accomplish."
Grant Hill, Duke
| Small forward/shooting guard | |
| Born: October 5, 1972 Dallas, Texas | |
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| League | NBA |
| Salary | $1,976,400[1] |
| High school | South Lakes |
| College | Duke University |
| Draft | 3rd overall, 1994 Detroit Pistons |
| Pro career | 1994–present |
| Former teams | Detroit Pistons (1994–2000) Orlando Magic (2000–2007) |
| Awards | 7-time NBA All-Star 5-time All-NBA Selection 1995 NBA co-Rookie of the Year 2005 NBA Sportsmanship Award 2008 NBA Sportsmanship Award
|
Balls to the Wall
No one was very excited about our offseason moves last year. We lost James Posey and PJ Brown, and Sam Cassell returned in name only. On the other hand, no one was particularly down last offseason either. We had just finished dominating the NBA Finals, after completing a regular season in which we posted the third best record in franchise history. We could stand to drop a notch or two in quality, a betting man might have wagered, and still mount a serious run at back-to-backs. Indeed, the depleted and smaller Celtics started the 2008-09 season 27-2. Bot not much went right after that, and the season ended in injury and defeat.
The question then became where were the 2009-10 Celtics headed: another offseason on the cheap or an offseason that vaulted us back to the top the oddsmakers charts?
The early rumbling sounded promising. Danny Ainge said that his only concern was building a championship team for the upcoming season, while Wycliffe Grousbeck said he was willing to open his wallet and incur luxury tax to make it happen. Both Ainge and Wyc talked of a two-year championship window. Good, but we'd heard it before.
Only this time they meant it.
The offseason isn't over, but it's plain to the least trained eye that thoughts of transitioning to a post-KG era are over. All eggs are being placed into the next two years, balls to the wall, and pedal to the metal. I'm sure we'll hear detractors say "only if we'd done this last year" we could have resigned Posey and repeated. Of course, without KG we don't repeat. Even with KG and Pose we might not repeat.
But if we sign Pose last year, do we get Sheed this year? Not so sure. And if losing Pose meant getting Sheed, I'll take the tradeoff.
The question then became where were the 2009-10 Celtics headed: another offseason on the cheap or an offseason that vaulted us back to the top the oddsmakers charts?
The early rumbling sounded promising. Danny Ainge said that his only concern was building a championship team for the upcoming season, while Wycliffe Grousbeck said he was willing to open his wallet and incur luxury tax to make it happen. Both Ainge and Wyc talked of a two-year championship window. Good, but we'd heard it before.
Only this time they meant it.
The offseason isn't over, but it's plain to the least trained eye that thoughts of transitioning to a post-KG era are over. All eggs are being placed into the next two years, balls to the wall, and pedal to the metal. I'm sure we'll hear detractors say "only if we'd done this last year" we could have resigned Posey and repeated. Of course, without KG we don't repeat. Even with KG and Pose we might not repeat.
But if we sign Pose last year, do we get Sheed this year? Not so sure. And if losing Pose meant getting Sheed, I'll take the tradeoff.
Courtsey Interview
I was seriously confused by the second set of NBA headlines this morning: "Grant Hill to Visit Knicks on Monday." No. But why? Then I realized Hill used to play for Knicks' coach Mike D'Antoni when both of them were in Phoenix, and it all made sense. Hill, the consummate professional, was simply giving his former coach a courtesy interview in reverse (since its usually the employer doing the interviewing).
So I'm going to choose not to worry about this, and stick with Tanguay's assurance that Hill will be wearin' da green by Friday. Why not. He's been right about everything else this summer.
So I'm going to choose not to worry about this, and stick with Tanguay's assurance that Hill will be wearin' da green by Friday. Why not. He's been right about everything else this summer.
Faker Fans Start to Weigh In
Check out the comments section here.
I gotta hand it to the Laker fans. Most of them are calling like it is: The green are the new Faves. Nothing quite like stealing thunder from the purple, less than three weeks from their having won the title.
I gotta hand it to the Laker fans. Most of them are calling like it is: The green are the new Faves. Nothing quite like stealing thunder from the purple, less than three weeks from their having won the title.
Quick, Someone Contact New England Flag and Banner
The Celtics have a new order to place.
It shouldn't be too hard to fill.
I believe the company has a copy of the template on file.
Grant Ain't Over the Hill
| Season | Team | G | GS | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | OFF | DEF | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PF | PPG |
| 08-09 | PHX | 82 | 68 | 29.8 | 0.523 | 0.316 | 0.808 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.54 | 2.20 | 12.0 |
| Career | 787 | 765 | 35.7 | 0.486 | 0.278 | 0.764 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 6.6 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 2.70 | 2.40 | 18.5 |
Good lord, dig these numbers.
82 games, 29 MPGs, .523 from the field, 80% from the stripe, 12 PPG, 5 caroms, 2 dimes, 1 steal, and almost 1 block per game.
The Arms Race Continues
Lakers' Nation awakes this morning and takes notice. The 2009-10 NBA season is starting to remind me a lot of the 1980s, where you have a few elite teams that are very, very good, and everyone else just stinks. In the early 1980s, you had the C's, the L's, the Bucks, and the Sixers. Later on, you had the C's, the L's, and the Pistons. Usually some other team rose to the occasion for a season or two.
The other similarity is how the bad teams raced to shed their good, but expensive players. Remember how the Lakers got MycHal Thompson for a cola and a bag of chips? Sort of like how the Lakers got Pau Gasol 20 years later. Of course, the Celtics originally triggered this arms race not only by getting KG and Ray Allen, but then destroying the purple six out of eight times that season.
In technology, we use the analogy of only being able to fit so many painters (ie., programmers) into a closet (ie., a piece of code). After a while, you reach the point of diminishing returns. When the Lakers acquired Wilt Chamberlain before the start of the 1968-69 season, they asked Bill Russell to comment on the Lakers formidable roster.
"They still just play the sport with one basketball, right? And only five guys can be on the court at the same time? I think we'll be alright," Russell said. The interesting thing is that once the Celtics add Grant Hill, I don't think they are done adding painters to the closet.
Stephon Marbury, having previously indicated that he was done playing for the C's, just might reconsider now that the entire team is made up of all-world players. Plus Danny has the contracts of Scal, TA, Giddens, Walker, and Pruitt to dangle.
The other similarity is how the bad teams raced to shed their good, but expensive players. Remember how the Lakers got MycHal Thompson for a cola and a bag of chips? Sort of like how the Lakers got Pau Gasol 20 years later. Of course, the Celtics originally triggered this arms race not only by getting KG and Ray Allen, but then destroying the purple six out of eight times that season.
In technology, we use the analogy of only being able to fit so many painters (ie., programmers) into a closet (ie., a piece of code). After a while, you reach the point of diminishing returns. When the Lakers acquired Wilt Chamberlain before the start of the 1968-69 season, they asked Bill Russell to comment on the Lakers formidable roster.
"They still just play the sport with one basketball, right? And only five guys can be on the court at the same time? I think we'll be alright," Russell said. The interesting thing is that once the Celtics add Grant Hill, I don't think they are done adding painters to the closet.
Stephon Marbury, having previously indicated that he was done playing for the C's, just might reconsider now that the entire team is made up of all-world players. Plus Danny has the contracts of Scal, TA, Giddens, Walker, and Pruitt to dangle.
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