Cassell Signs With Celtics

RoyceDa59 · Post #1 » by **RoyceDa59** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 8:06 am

Is it just me or does Sam Cassell not seem like the perfect fit in Boston as the back up point guard to Rondo? He's a savvy veteran with a smooth J and a killer instinct and he's also won 2 championships. He compliments Rondo well as Sam brings a different, more offensively aggresive tempo. Cassell's greatest asset was always his mind, and at age 38 I think there is enough left in the tank for him to give the Celtics a crafty spark off the bench.

(The Celtics have also signed a quality back up big man in PJ Brown)

Do you think Sam will become an x-factor in Boston? Will the Celtics win the East and are they good enough to win the championship with Sam I Am in the line up?

cdubbz · Post #2 » by **cdubbz** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 8:19 am

Sam I am is a player that makes Boston really interesting. Yeah hes super old and fragile, but his game is ageless. He can still be clutch and run a team. He has played with 2/3 of the big 3 and you want the ball in his hands in crunch time because he will know how to get it to the big 3.

Sam I am = helping boston go to the finals.

BobbySura · Post #3 » by **BobbySura** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 9:48 am

bostons biggest flaws were

back up point (eddie house and tony allen are GREAT players, but not point guards)

and back up center (again, powe and big baby are great but small guys. pollard is practically dead)

both were dealt with.

can't wait to see the team fully swinging.

mr_sunshine · Post #4 » by **mr_sunshine** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 10:20 am

All through the season every Celtics fan was hoping to sign a quality big (whomever, just another body really) and Sammy. It could not have gone any better to be honest! PJ and Sam were exactly what the team needed to shore up its only glaring weaknesses. Watch out when those two get it going!

PT_Lakers_fan · Post #5 » by **PT_Lakers_fan** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 10:59 am

Yeah it is good for Boston to have a player with the experience of Sam Cassell. I was hoping that he could come to "my" Lakers but he didn't :-?

Quiet-Storm · Post #6 » by **Quiet-Storm** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 11:29 am

Lol at the thought of 38 year old Casell trying to guard Tony parker, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and some of the monsters hes going to have to face

BillessuR6 · Post #7 » by **BillessuR6** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 11:44 am

Quiet-Storm wrote:Lol at the thought of 38 year old Casell trying to guard Tony parker, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and some of the monsters hes going to have to face

If Boston makes it out of the east he will only have to play one of them. And he will probably have to guard the likes of Stoudamire, Hart, Mike James as the backup PG.

And Paker, Paul would have difficulties themselves guarding Sam when he posts them up...

Besides, Sam wasn`t brought in to defend anybody, he was brought in to help in other areas...

Quiet-Storm · Post #8 » by **Quiet-Storm** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 11:59 am

thebirdman wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

If Boston makes it out of the east he will only have to play one of them. And he will probably have to guard the likes of Stoudamire, Hart, Mike James as the backup PG.

And Paker, Paul would have difficulties themselves guarding Sam when he posts them up...

Besides, Sam wasn`t brought in to defend anybody, he was brought in to help in other areas...

Ya but Sam's reputation is clutch time. The question is whether hes going to get any burn at crunch time when he cant guard anybody. (And hes a slight slight frame standing only 6-3 so hes not going to be posting up anyone)

BobbySura · Post #9 » by **BobbySura** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 12:14 pm

Quiet-Storm wrote:Lol at the thought of 38 year old Casell trying to guard Tony parker, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and some of the monsters hes going to have to face

ya because tony allen and rondo are definitely not known as defensive players and the defensive priorities all rest on cassells shoulders.

a 38 year old cassell>eddie house on defense

CzBoobie · Post #10 » by **CzBoobie** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 1:14 pm

Wow, that's a shocker!

Quiet-Storm · Post #11 » by **Quiet-Storm** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 1:19 pm

BobbySura wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

ya because tony allen and rondo are definitely not known as defensive players and the defensive priorities all rest on cassells shoulders.

a 38 year old cassell>eddie house on defense

Whats casell known for? Making the big plays at crunch time. Making things happen in the 4th quarter. How is he going to do those things with Rondo and Allen on the floor with him? I just dont see the celtics being able to play Casell in crunch time against the western teams because he would be too huge a liability on defence. What good he brings on offence is nullified when Steve Nash, Tony parker, Deron Williams, Chris paul or whatever team they are facing blow past him.

Dont get me wrong. He will help them by keeping up the poinguard play during second unit minutes. But I dont see how he will be able to stay on the court when the game down the the last few minutes. Hell be eaten alive defensively against those elite pointguards.

Mahoney_jr · Post #12 » by **Mahoney_jr** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 1:49 pm

Quiet-Storm wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Whats casell known for? Making the big plays at crunch time. Making things happen in the 4th quarter. How is he going to do those things with Rondo and Allen on the floor with him? I just dont see the celtics being able to play Casell in crunch time against the western teams because he would be too huge a liability on defence. What good he brings on offence is nullified when Steve Nash, Tony parker, Deron Williams, Chris paul or whatever team they are facing blow past him.

Dont get me wrong. He will help them by keeping up the poinguard play during second unit minutes. But I dont see how he will be able to stay on the court when the game down the the last few minutes. Hell be eaten alive defensively against those elite pointguards.

he'll really help in offense/defense-substitutions, because of his ballhandling and ft-shooting. tony allen will be the pg-defender and cassell the offensive pg in late game situations.

did you see the wc finals 2004 when cassell went down and the lakers were pressing hoiberg and martin? that scenario won't happen against the celtics 2008.

BillessuR6 · Post #13 » by **BillessuR6** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 2:06 pm

Quiet-Storm wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Whats casell known for? Making the big plays at crunch time. Making things happen in the 4th quarter. How is he going to do those things with Rondo and Allen on the floor with him? I just dont see the celtics being able to play Casell in crunch time against the western teams because he would be too huge a liability on defence. What good he brings on offence is nullified when Steve Nash, Tony parker, Deron Williams, Chris paul or whatever team they are facing blow past him.

Dont get me wrong. He will help them by keeping up the poinguard play during second unit minutes. But I dont see how he will be able to stay on the court when the game down the the last few minutes. Hell be eaten alive defensively against those elite pointguards.

Please, you are talking like he is the worst defender in the league! He is decent. Besides Boston has the best team defense. Even House looks OK in that defensive scheme...

And these numbers don`t look bad at all. He has +2 PER by position...
http://www.82games.com/0708/07LAC3C.HTM

For example Bibby and Nelson have -2, Rondo has +0,3 and so on...

You are severely underestimating Cassell and his impact...

Magz50 · Post #14 » by **Magz50** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 2:15 pm

P2 · Post #15 » by P2 » Tue Mar 4, 2008 2:31 pm

RoyceDa59 wrote:Is it just me or does Sam Cassell not seem like the perfect fit in Boston as the back up point guard to Rondo?

He is the perfect fit. We didn't sign Stoudamire and Payton, who both really wanted to play for us, because we waited for Cassell.

Suns_Fever · Post #16 » by **Suns_Fever** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 2:36 pm

Wish Sam Cassell signed with Phx, we desperately need a backup pointguard. It's ok though wish him the best luck in Boston.

The Rondo Show · Post #17 » by **The Rondo Show** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 2:43 pm

Quiet-Storm wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Whats casell known for? Making the big plays at crunch time. Making things happen in the 4th quarter. How is he going to do those things with Rondo and Allen on the floor with him? I just dont see the celtics being able to play Casell in crunch time against the western teams because he would be too huge a liability on defence. What good he brings on offence is nullified when Steve Nash, Tony parker, Deron Williams, Chris paul or whatever team they are facing blow past him.

Dont get me wrong. He will help them by keeping up the poinguard play during second unit minutes. But I dont see how he will be able to stay on the court when the game down the the last few minutes. Hell be eaten alive defensively against those elite pointguards.

Cassell is better than Eddie House defensively and because the Celtics team D is so great, House's D looks just fine out there. They'll be able to cover for Cassell just as they cover for House.

Benjamerica · Post #18 » by **Benjamerica** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 3:26 pm

I've never seen Rondo play as a 2 but I know we have some plans to run it that way with Samiam at the 1. . .Rondo said he hasn't played the 2 since college but had his highest scoring game(s) while doing so. Not that this will be the gameplan all the time but if we do that, we can have Sam run the point then Rondo just pick up Paul\Williams\Parker or whoever on D. . .and theoretically, Sam, shift to guarding the 2. . which I'd only expect us to do if it was the right kind of 2. . but. . Yeah. . These 2 singings were exactly who we needed in my opinion . I'm so glad we didn't pick up Payton or whoever else now. . though. . I still find pollard questionable and would have rather signed Batista over him in the preseason. . but. . whatever.

smirkin gherkin · Post #19 » by **smirkin gherkin** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 3:42 pm

I think Cassell is an excellent pick up. People are underestimating the effect he'll have on team chemistry. He's KG's best friend, and everyone's seen how KG feeds off his emotions. He's going to add fuel to the fire burning inside KG. The Celtics are already bloody good, it's almost unfair that they get to improve this much by adding Sam for nothing!

wickerhd · Post #20 » by **wickerhd** » Tue Mar 4, 2008 5:02 pm

Rondo might like the idea of playing the 2, but I don't see it happening. House or Ray Allen will be at the 2 when Sam is spelling Rondo.

Benjamerica wrote:I've never seen Rondo play as a 2 but I know we have some plans to run it that way with Samiam at the 1. . .Rondo said he hasn't played the 2 since college but had his highest scoring game(s) while doing so. Not that this will be the gameplan all the time but if we do that, we can have Sam run the point then Rondo just pick up Paul\Williams\Parker or whoever on D. . .and theoretically, Sam, shift to guarding the 2. . which I'd only expect us to do if it was the right kind of 2. . but. . Yeah. . These 2 singings were exactly who we needed in my opinion . I'm so glad we didn't pick up Payton or whoever else now. . though. . I still find pollard questionable and would have rather signed Batista over him in the preseason. . but. . whatever.