this is exactly what I was thinking. I mean don't get me wrong he's a helluva talent, but he isn't all that effective in a team-based game.
Im pretty sure the duo of iverson+pierce would be unstoppable. I bet just those guys could get a team to the finals easily. The only team that i would even be remotely worried about would be the defending champion heat, and MAYBE the mavericks
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting DIRK4L1FE:</div><div class="quote_post">Why would the Celtics want to trade some young, rising players for a player who can maybe put up 2-3 more good years? AI and Pierce would get you into the playoffs, but not a ring. Wait 2-3 years, make the right moves (keeping/moving the right pieces) and you have a team that has an aging veteran who is still efficient in Pierce, and a bunch of young stars (if not stars, good players) in Green, Jefferson, Perkins, West, Telfair. With that team, you are more balanced, and have as much a chance of making the playoffs as AI + Pierce, and IMO a higher chance of going furthur into the playoffs. I mean, if you made the trade, you potentially lose Jefferson, Telfair and maybe Green. Now, imagine if AI or Pierce has a bad game, then what do you do? You probably wouldn't have the depth for another player other than one of the two mentioned before to step up. With a balanced team, everyone can contribute, and with more options, even if one goes down, you have others to fall back on.</div> I am not a Celtic fan, so take my words with a grain of salt. But from what I have heard, Al Jefferson has not improved at all last season, and may have even regressed. Telfair has a lot of hype, but what has he done in the league yet that makes you think he has the potential to be a star? Personally, I think the guy has a lot of talent, and may be a decent player one day, but that is still years away, and he will never be the player AI is. Green is still young as hell, and is still 3 to 4 years away from producing IMO. If I remember correctly, he had questions regarding his work ethic?? Also, from what I have heard, the trade the Sixers were looking for was Al Jefferson + Wally + Telfair for AI and maybe a throw in. That would be a huge steal for the Celtics. An AI and Pierce duo will make them instant contenders. You also have to realize that the Celtics will still be keeping youngsters like Ryan Gomes, Perkins, Gerald Green, and Delonte West. That could ave gone down as on of the biggest steals in history
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">If I were a Celtic fan, I would be really pissed that a trade didn't come through. From what I was hearing, Billy King pretty much agreed to trade AI to Boston for Wally, Al Jefferson, and Green, but then decided he wanted Telfair instead of Green, which ended the trade talks. If that was indeed true, Danny has to be out of his mind because you are basically trading away nothing to get one of the best players in the game in AI</div> Let's start with this. There's a pretty simple response to this statement, a true response, and that is, NO. Billy King not the least bit conflicted about Bassey, nor was Danny Ainge. It has become clear that Ainge's intention upon getting Bassey was to trade him, immediately, for Allen Iverson. The hangup was on Wally Sczerbiak. Wally was the guy who would make the salaries match up, having earned $9mil+ last season, and set to do so again this year. If you look at the fellas otherwise involved in the deal, you see that their total salaries come to something like $4mil/season. And that's not near enough to get this deal through, so Wally was involved. Boston picked up several other outrageous contracts in an attempt to fill the void in the trade that Wally's continued physical and athletic ineptitude provided. That said, let's attack statement Number two. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">I am not a Celtic fan, so take my words with a grain of salt. But from what I have heard, Al Jefferson has not improved at all last season, and may have even regressed. Telfair has a lot of hype, but what has he done in the league yet that makes you think he has the potential to be a star? Personally, I think the guy has a lot of talent, and may be a decent player one day, but that is still years away, and he will never be the player AI is. Green is still young as hell, and is still 3 to 4 years away from producing IMO. If I remember correctly, he had questions regarding his work ethic?? Also, from what I have heard, the trade the Sixers were looking for was Al Jefferson + Wally + Telfair for AI and maybe a throw in. That would be a huge steal for the Celtics. An AI and Pierce duo will make them instant contenders. You also have to realize that the Celtics will still be keeping youngsters like Ryan Gomes, Perkins, Gerald Green, and Delonte West. That could ave gone down as on of the biggest steals in history</div> No, Al wasn't great last year, but everything he had going for him the year previous, he had this year too. And that is scoring, scoring, scoring. The man has touch. He was unconfident and injured for most of the year, so expect him to turn it around with guys like Powe and Gomes breathing down his neck. Telfair, we will soon find out, is not all that great, and give him as many years as you like, he's not a star, and won't be. Green is young, yes, but he will make an impact far sooner than three or four years, that's nonsense. Also nonsense was your comment about his work ethic. That never happened, don't even plant that seed. Now, again the proposed, and previously accepted trade was for Wally Sczerbiak, Delonte West, Al Jefferson, and a first round pick for Allen Iverson, no filler. Telfair wasn't even supposed to be part of this deal. Telfair had nothing to do with it. Ainge thought that Mo Cheeks would want him as part of the deal, so he picked him up. Unfortunately, Mo has no input on this decision making process, nor would he want Bassey all that much anyway. Let's please get our facts remotely straight before we make our decisions here.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Squishface:</div><div class="quote_post">Let's start with this. There's a pretty simple response to this statement, a true response, and that is, NO. Billy King not the least bit conflicted about Bassey, nor was Danny Ainge. It has become clear that Ainge's intention upon getting Bassey was to trade him, immediately, for Allen Iverson. The hangup was on Wally Sczerbiak. Wally was the guy who would make the salaries match up, having earned $9mil+ last season, and set to do so again this year. If you look at the fellas otherwise involved in the deal, you see that their total salaries come to something like $4mil/season. And that's not near enough to get this deal through, so Wally was involved. Boston picked up several other outrageous contracts in an attempt to fill the void in the trade that Wally's continued physical and athletic ineptitude provided.</div> I heard that the Sixers almost agreed apon a trade, but Billy King wanted Telfair instead of Green. The trade never happened, so I'm guessing Danny Ainge didn't want to give up Telfair. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Word is that this deal is going to get done as soon as possible. I guess the hold up is Philly wants Telfair instead of Green, but Danny doesn't want to give Bassy up. The deal should look like this: Wally, Jefferson, and Green for Iverson. I also heard Danny isn't high on Green, that's why he doesn't mind trading him.</div> That was what 44 said he heard from his "inside sources," so I was basing it simpily on what he said, considering 44 is a respectable poster around JBB. Here's the link: http://www.justbball.com/forums/showthread...?t=55776&page=2 <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Squishface:</div><div class="quote_post">No, Al wasn't great last year, but everything he had going for him the year previous, he had this year too. And that is scoring, scoring, scoring. The man has touch. He was unconfident and injured for most of the year, so expect him to turn it around with guys like Powe and Gomes breathing down his neck.</div> Again, I don't watch much Celtics basketball. I saw a couple of Celtic games this season, and I have to say I wasn't too impressed with him. And, I checked this forum quite a bit, and I remember some of you guys saying he wasn't performing as well as you all expected. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Squishface:</div><div class="quote_post">Green is young, yes, but he will make an impact far sooner than three or four years, that's nonsense. Also nonsense was your comment about his work ethic. That never happened, don't even plant that seed.</div> The knock against Gerald Green when he was being drafted was that he had issues with his work ethic. Again, I'm not a Celtic fan, and I don't really follow up on them all that much, so I really don't know what he has been doing throughout the season, but before the draft, people were questioning his work ethic. Here's a quote from his NBA Draft Net profile: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Effort seems suspect at times, can often be seen walking or resting on the court... Kind of has that I'll do what I want domineer when on the court, and sometimes appears to put style over substance... Also, he'll be spectacular one game, but then he'll forget to dominate...where is he? </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Squishface:</div><div class="quote_post">Now, again the proposed, and previously accepted trade was for Wally Sczerbiak, Delonte West, Al Jefferson, and a first round pick for Allen Iverson, no filler. Telfair wasn't even supposed to be part of this deal. Telfair had nothing to do with it. Ainge thought that Mo Cheeks would want him as part of the deal, so he picked him up. Unfortunately, Mo has no input on this decision making process, nor would he want Bassey all that much anyway. Let's please get our facts remotely straight before we make our decisions here.</div> Once again, I heard that trade rumor from 44
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Also nonsense was your comment about his work ethic. That never happened, don't even plant that seed.</div> I also heard this before the draft, and even on draft night when they took Green, if i remember correctly.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Answer_AI03:</div><div class="quote_post">I also heard this before the draft, and even on draft night when they took Green, if i remember correctly.</div> And who exactly is telling us this before the draft, his high school coaches? I hate to sound the critic, but who the hell cares what those two-bit babysitters have to say about him. It was clear to everyone on draft night that he was a man among boys in high school; and he was a baby among men when he came to the NBA. That being the case, there was not a single credible person saying he wouldn't hustle, there were guys that watched him trounce 17 year olds. NBA scouts hadn't even seen him play all that much until the end of his last season in high school, so they didn't really even have a good look at him. That said, he's been nothing if not dedicated for this team, and as a result is one of the main rotation players for this squad this season, and more power to him.
they would most definitely not get a ring with AI and Pierce.they would have traded wally,AL, and green.......what would they have left....just AI and peirce.....now compare that to the rest of the league.....I told u they wouldn't get any where.AI,Peirce,and KG need to do sometthing about there almost ending careers
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">what would they have left....just AI and peirce</div> First of all, AI and Pierce is ALOT to handle. and no thats not all they would have. They would still have all the same good young players that they have now, minus what they are trading. I reall wish this trade did go down because philly would be rebuilding, and boston would give iverson a decent chance at a title. I seriously cant imagine how deadly those 2 would be.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Answer_AI03:</div><div class="quote_post">First of all, AI and Pierce is ALOT to handle. and no thats not all they would have. They would still have all the same good young players that they have now, minus what they are trading. I reall wish this trade did go down because philly would be rebuilding, and boston would give iverson a decent chance at a title. I seriously cant imagine how deadly those 2 would be.</div> They would definitely be a lot to handle, and there's no doubt that they would go pretty far with that scoring tandem. If 'Toine and Pierce could make it six games into the East Finals, AI and Pierce would be quite the competitive compliment. That said, if you look at that deal, they're really not giving up that much. All told, that squad would be pretty formidable.
