Marc Spears of the Boston Globe is reporting that the Celtics have made their first cut, trimming the roster down to 16.</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> The Celtics' roster was trimmed to 16 players after they waived free agent forward Esteban Batista on Tuesday. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Monday he hoped to have the roster trimmed to as low as 14 soon so his players could get more reps in practice and to keep one roster spot open just in case they wanted to add a player later. Boston can carry a maximum 15 players when the season begins. Batista only played in the second of the Celtics' two preseason games scoring 7 points in 15 minutes.</p> </div></p> I personally am very surprised that he was cut, let alone the first guy to go. Casual fans could care less about the end of the roster, but whether you want it to or not, it does matter. Scot Pollard is as injury prone as they come, and I think Batista would have filled a need as a 3rd banger to throw in at the 5-spot in case of injury and/or significant foul trouble (which Kendrick Perkins has issues with, to begin with). This isn't anything to lose sleep over, but I'm not necessarily happy about this either. I'm not opposed to keeping Dahntay Jones or Brandon Wallace, but I feel that a third center is necessary on this roster.</p> Jackie Manuel is still very much expected to be sent home early, so the real race for the 14th spot on this roster (assuming that the Celtics decide to keep it at 14 in order to give the team future flexibility) is between Dahntay Jones and Brandon Wallace. I'm not opposed to keeping either one, but I'll re-state my position: I would rather keep Brandon Wallace than Dahntay Jones, even though Jones is a better basketball player as of right now. I feel that Jones is virtually a clone of what we already have in Tony Allen, and that Wallace is worth taking a flyer on. Throw Wallace in the D-League this season, watch him progress, and see if you've got yourself an undrafted gem. If he pans out, great, we add a piece that few teams have (a long SF who can defend bigger wings). If he doesn't pan out, no harm done, we let him go next summer and make room for our 2008 first round draft pick. I wouldn't be surprised, nor angry, to see it go either way, but Wallace is my preference.</p>
Doc commented that he was looking for a backup center with Pollard out and then the Celtics proceed to waive Batista, who played very well in the FIBA Americas tournament. I.don't.understand.</p>
