Boston Sports Then and Now

Tony Parker led the San Antonio Spurs back to the NBA Finals this year.

The Boston Celtics will be facing the challenge of rebuilding their roster into a championship contender this summer.

There are mixed reports of Paul Pierce being either bought out for $5 million or traded because he has an expiring contract with a buy-out clause. The more likely scenario is the Celtics will trade the 15-year veteran. This will force them to remake their roster, but the challenge will not be as daunting because they still have point guard Rajon Rondo and head coach Doc Rivers.

Two of the remaining three teams in the NBA playoffs are examples for the Celtics to look toward in restocking their talent.

The San Antonio Spurs much like the Celtics had an aging 7-footer in David Robinson in 1997. The Spurs were fortunate to land the top pick in that draft as they won the Tim Duncan Sweepstakes. In the next six seasons, the Spurs had one of the best frontcourts in the game with Robinson and Duncan.  They won a championship in the lockout-shortened 1998-’99 season over the New York Knicks. When Robinson retired, the Spurs were forced to find a new avenue to build their team. Tony Parker fell to the Spurs in the 2001 NBA Draft as the 28^th overall selection. Parker came from playing in France and was an unknown prospect compared to other point guards like Joseph Forte (University of North Carolina) and Jamaal Tinsley (Iowa State) who played in the United States. Forte was selected with the 21^st overall pick by the Celtics and he played a total of 25 games in the NBA with just eight for the Celtics in 2001-’02. Tinsley was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, but he was traded to the Indiana Pacers on draft night. Parker has become one of the best point guards in the league as he has helped the Spurs win two championships (2004-’05 and 2006-’07). Manu Ginobili was taken by the Spurs in the second round in 1999 in the second round with the 57^th pick, but the crafty Argentinan played overseas until the 2002-’03 season when he began his career with the Spurs. Ginobili has become one of the best scorers off the bench. Another foreign player that the Spurs plucked in the NBA Draft is contributing to the Spurs’ run to the NBA Finals in Tiago Splitter. Like Ginobili, the 6-11 center from Brazil was drafted in 2007, but he played in international competition until he joined the Spurs in 2010-’11. The two constants have been Duncan and head coach Gregg Popovich.

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Boston Celtics guard Terrence Williams showed Carmelo Anthony flashes of his skills.

When Terrence Williams signed a 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics on February 18^th, he was seen as just a warm body off the bench for the injury-ravaged Celtics. The Celtics were depleted by injuries without their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, rookie forward Jared Sullinger, and reserve guard Leandro Barbosa. With no clear backup for Rondo, the Celtics believed Williams could fit the bill.

Williams displayed an array of skills while he was at the University of Louisville. The 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pound swingman could set up shots for his teammates as well as himself. He showed strength inside with his size and speed. Head coach Rick Pitino called him “a freakish athlete.” This led to the then-New Jersey Nets using their 11^th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft on Williams.

Since Williams has entered the league, he has been unable to showcase the skills that led him to the NBA because of his immaturity. He had bouts with former Nets head coach Avery Johnson that led to him being sent down to the NBA Development League in 2010. He was eventually released by the Nets. The four-year veteran bounced around the league with the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings before he was cut by the Detroit Pistons last summer.

In the 2012-’13 season, Williams played overseas in China. He averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while playing for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association. Williams was on the court for 29 games for the Tigers before he was replaced by Donald Sloan in the final two games of the regular season.

His performance in the CBA and the Celtics’ need for a reserve guard led him back to the NBA. Despite the limited time he spent on the court, the Celtics liked his potential to sign him to a multi-year contract in March. Williams played in 24 games in the regular season  with the Celtics and he shot 49.5% from the floor. In the Celtics’ first round loss to the New York Knicks, Doc Rivers gave Williams a few critical minutes in the fourth quarter of Game 5 when Williams replaced Kevin Garnett. He was able to allow the Celtics to regain a double-digit advantage at 80-67. Williams scored four points, collected four rebounds, and dished out two assists in less than 17 minutes of action.

After the Celtics season ended, the future of the team is up in the air whether the Celtics will keep Paul Pierce and Garnett or if they will rebuild. Williams has shown he is capable of producing on the biggest stage and the Celtics hope to see more of Williams’ instincts when training camp arrives in the fall.

Paul Pierce (left) and Kevin Garnett (right) may have played their last game in a Celtics uniform.

As the Boston Celtics head into the off-season, they have many questions to answer. The first is whether they should retain captain Paul Pierce?

Pierce could make $15.3 million this season unless the Celtics buy out Pierce for $5 million. If the Celtics choose to buy out Pierce, they will have to do it by June 30th. The issue is that the Celtics are already committed to $76 million for next season. If they buy out Pierce, they still do not have a lot of money to spend since they save just $10 million and they are already over the salary cap (likely to be in the neighborhood of $59 million). If the Celtics do cut ties with their franchise cornerstone, this could lead to Kevin Garnett also leaving the franchise. Garnett said after the Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks that his future is tied with Pierce. Head coach Doc Rivers left the door open  to the possibility of leaving the Celtics in his postgame press conference on Friday.

The free agent and draft class is very weak this summer so it will be tough to rebuild this off-season. This leaves trades as the only potential avenue to upgrade the 2013-’14 roster. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge was unable to ship Pierce or Garnett off at the trade deadline because he was asking for a significant return.

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The Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett (left) and the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (right) will build on the physicality from their first meeting this year.

The Boston Celtics have overcome adversity this year to find themselves in the NBA postseason for the sixth consecutive season. The Celtics lost their All-Star point guard, Rajon Rondo, to a season-ending torn right ACL in a January 25^th double overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Rookie forward Jared Sullinger was forced to undergo surgery on his back in February that ended his season. Reserve guard Leandro Barbosa suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the third quarter of the 94-91 loss against the Charlotte Bobcats on February 11^th. In a matter 17 days, the Celtics lost three key players in their rotation.

This season has been split into the team with Rondo and the team without Rondo. Prior to Rondo’s injury, the Celtics were 20-23 and they had lost six consecutive games. Then the team improved their play and appeared to rally around people calling for their demise. They won their next seven contests, including a 100-98 overtime victory over the top team in the NBA, the Miami Heat, and were 14-4 in their initial 18 games without their floor leader. The team played well defensively and they spread the ball around. Jeff Green became the player that Danny Ainge hoped he was getting when he sent Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011. Green was more aggressive on the offensive end and his speed and length provided fits for the opposition. At one point the team was down to nine active players because of all the injuries. Ainge traded Jason Collins to the Washington Wizards for Jordan Crawford before the trade deadline ended on February 21^st. He signed TerrPence Williams, Shavlik Randolph, and D.J. White. All three of these players came from the Chinese Basketball Association and had been unable to stick with a team in the NBA.

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Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett dictates where he wants to go with his no-trade clause.

This is the season for trade rumors and speculation to be at its all-time peak with the deadline approaching. Like every year, the Boston Celtics will be in the middle of the activity.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Celtics will not be sellers on February 21^st, 2013. Besides Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics do not have valuable trade chips other than Avery Bradley and possibly Courtney Lee.

The Celtics do not have many players with expiring contracts other than Pierce, who has a player option that is guaranteed at $4 million for next year. The other expiring contracts are for role players such as Leandro Barbosa, Jason Collins, and Chris Wilcox who won’t net much in return. Teams around the league will have to take on contracts for multiple years. The NBA rules state that trades must match salaries.

Garnett is one of four players (Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki) to have a no-trade clause in his contract. Since Garnett is fiercely loyal, especially to Doc Rivers, it would be hard for the Celtics to deal him away. Remember before the Celtics traded for Garnett in the summer of 2007, Garnett refused to come to Boston until the Celtics traded for Ray Allen to join Pierce.

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Barbosa and Lee step up in absence of Rondo

As you know the Celtics got the devastating news last Sunday that  Rajon Rondo would be missing the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL.

Rondo who had hurt his leg in a game the previous Friday, thought nothing of it feeling that it was just a hamstring injury. He continued to play the remainder of the double overtime game against the Hawks. Sunday, before the game against the Miami Heat he left with some discomfort and the feeling that he may have hyper extended his knee. The team trainer sent him to get an MRI.

Right when the trainer evaluated Rondo before he sent him for an MRI he knew it was going to be his ACL and that he would be done for the year. The trainer approached Doc and told him before the game, and Doc informed the team following the game.

Near the end of the Celtics overtime victory against the Miami Heat Rondo showed up in street clothes to support the team and share the devastating news. As hard as it was for Rondo to miss a huge game against the rival Heat and Ray Allen’s return to Boston for the first time, it will be even harder for Rondo and the Celtics to have to miss the rest of the season and go through extensive rehab to get back for next season.

The Celtics still have the tools and personnel to not completely throw the season down the drain yet. They need to adjust and make changes to fill the void in the starting lineup where their all-star point guard led the team. So far, in four games without Rondo they have done just that by winning all four.

Courtney Lee is starting in place of Rondo and Barbosa has had a big increase in minutes off the bench running the point. Barbosa creates a lot of plays off the dribble and takes the ball to the rim. He has proven that he can run the floor, push the ball and help give the Celtics a spark. In the four games with the absence of Rondo he has averaged 10.5 points per game.

With a shorthanded roster with Sullinger out also the bench and roles players are the biggest key in order for the Celtics to have success. So far they have really stepped it up and it has proven that they can still win games. Jason Terry, Brandon Bass, Jeff Green, and Leandro Barbosa have all had a huge impact for the C’s. Against the Kings they combined for a total of 43 points off the bench, and against the Magic the four combined for 47 total points.

Not to take away from the starters and leaders of the team in Garnett and Pierce who have been playing well including a triple double for Pierce last week. The Bench has been the deciding factor and without them stepping up, the Celtics would not have the success that they have had the past four games.

Players have had to adjust and take on new roles, but so far they have done just that. If they can continue to step up and contribute as a team and play consistently then the Celtics have a good chance to still be successful.

The C’s will take the hardwood again on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors to try and stretch their win streak to five games.