Let's stay put until February deadline

[keltickings]

Our roster is loaded and in my opinion we are set for now.
Let's not be hasty here, time is on our side...

We have our starting 5:
Perk (yes it could be Sheed but let's say #43 for continuity)
KG
Paul
Ray
Rondo

Primary 4 bench players to take bulk of remaining minutes:
Sheed, (yes it could be Perk)
Big Baby
House
Daniels

The rest currently under contract:
Scalabrine
T Allen
Walker
Giddens
S williams

the 15th spot is open to:
L Hudson???
Marbury???
someone else released/available from now until feb???


We are not a perfect team but we are a solid 9 deep with almost no minutes for the rest of our squad. We don't need to be hasty and force a trade right now. Scalabrine and Tony Allen are valuable expiring contracts that will only become more valuable come the deadline. Any team that takes them will not resign them so I don't see teams wanting to mess with thier core by bringing in these two for a full season, they will likely not play for any team we trade them to. Walker and Giddens are the two potentials that a team would want to keep in a trade but neither has really shown us or other teams what they can do. Staying put allows them more time to shine and considering we will have a late first round pick next season we shouldn't keep both in my opinion. Make them prove something to us and in the process increase both thier value. I don't see Danny trading S Williams because he is our 5th big man and our insurance if a big goes down but then again he is an expiring contract.

Waiting benefits us for many reasons. Also:

We have the rights to L. Hudson and could bring him in around the deadline to fill the roster if we pull a 3 for 2 trade or a 3 for 1 trade. So no rush there.

Marbury we could lose if he goes overseas but no other nba team will touch him after his latest internet circus. I'm not even sure we want him now at any price. I did want him before but now I'm overly cautious. He could fit nicely but let's take the risk of waiting. But most of all bringing him in now takes those little minutes away from Walker and Giddens because it forces Daniels over to the 3 spot since Marbury is a point. As it stands Daniels will see minutes at the 3, 2, and 1. We need to see how that shakes out.

There will be many teams cutting veterans and expirings around the deadline and we are still an attractive destination for these players. There is bound to be two or three players available for a mutually beneficial situation even if we don't make a trade.

Going in to the season with 14 allows us flexibility and gives us some leverage. If we have 15 and someone becomes available we will be forced to cut a player which is an option. We may be trying to swing a 3 for 1 trade come deadline when simultaneously another attractive player gets released and we may lose some leverage because we need trade partner to agree before we can sign the other player.

Well I know much of this has been covered before but I just thought I would roll it all into my own thoughts. We have a slow board right now because there is nothing to really complain about and I can't wait to see our squad take the floor in 2009. Feel free to disagree, bash or offer other insight on these issues.

Soon we begin the quest for number 18!

[SonicYouth34]

Perk is going to start. He compliments KG better than anyone.

[Hemingway]

Lets first try and get a good deal but be ok with waiting. If we can get Marbury or AI as a free agent we should do it now. If we can get a good trade for Tony and Scal we should do it now. I'd say even sign a pg in case of an emergency situation now. But lets be ok with waiting and not make a dumb trade now.

[hairybyrd]

Can't believe Hemingway mentioned Marbury again. That would definitely deracinate my faith in Celtics management. Basically, you're insulting the intelligence of Wyc Grousbek, Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers. Iverson would be a solid pick-up at this point but I doubt he would accept a 6th man role. Point being, you're thinking much too big. Remember: we're talking about third string point guard here not the most glamorous acquisition on the table. We're not talking about practice.

The Celtics have improved a great deal since last year and people seem to be forgetting this. This year Celtics fans have the leisure to discuss who will start at the 5 spot - Perk or Rasheed. Last year, we often faced the prospect of playing Powe out of his natural 4 spot because Perk would sometimes pick-up 2 quick fouls. There was often an uncertainty of who would replace Perk at a time when Big Baby was not regarded as a night-to-night player. Now we have Wallace who will challenge Perk for playing time and Shelden Williams to fill some garbage minutes. With those additions, and the Davis re-up, the Celtics have the best big man rotation in the league.

In addition to that HUGE signing, the Celtics addressed a weakness on the wings. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen looked like dogs in the playoffs last year and for good reason - the pair logged 173 minutes against Chicago alone. This year the Celts have a reliable back-up for 2 of the Big Three in Marquis Daniels. This move, while appreciated, is still underrated on this board. I don't know about everyone else but I want Wallace and Daniels, along with last year's starters, to play a lot of minutes. The team's chemistry was already great, and Wallace and Daniels are glad to be playing in Boston. Things are good right now and star(bury) power is the last on the agenda. If anyone else regurgitates the name Stephon Marbury I'm going to have to seriously question your Basketball IQ because it might be lower than Tony Allen's. Marbury, by nature, was equipped with a child's mind with a grown man's tattooed head and I doubt he plays in the NBA ever again.

[hairybyrd]

I agree, though, we should stay put until closer to the deadline.

[ParticleMan]

i've been saying this all along. we're in a great position now, with both present and future flexibility. no need to blow it on some marginal vet right now.

i'm down with AI if we would come here on the vet min. i don't like his game but he can play at least, unlike vaseline lips. fat chance tho.