Let's examine the trade... ...financially: Teams in the NBA generally maintain a payroll in which their best players are paid the most money. This means that if a team is paying a player near maximum money, the player must be performing at a high level if the team wants to achieve success and stay within the constraints of the luxury tax. Szczerbiak has 26.55M and two years left on his contract. He is the second highest paid player on the team; however, his production is very limited, which puts the Celtics in a poor position as they cannot make up for his production with another quality player since his contract hurts the Celtics' cap management. By trading Szczerbiak for a player that deserves his contract in Ray Allen [52.17M over three seasons], the Celtics are managing their cap room well. Pierce, Jefferson, and Allen will be the three best players on the team, while also being the three highest paid players on the team in the '08-'09 season in which they will combine for about 83% of the cap. The Celtics do not have to extend Delonte West now and still have the option of trading Ratliff's salary for another impact player, hopefully a point guard, or can decide to keep the contract for its insurance benefits to appease the ownership group. ...from a basketball perspective: Jeff Green, Yi Jianlian, and Corey Brewer will never be better than Ray Allen. Never. Perhaps Brandan Wright will eventually become better than Allen; however, the Celtics needed to appease their fans and their star player and did so by trading for another top fifteen player. Delonte West did not have a future in Boston since he uses far too many possessions for his limited talent and production. Wally Szczerbiak is a poor player as injuries have rendered him below average by taking away his lift on his jump shots, which was his only positive trait. Ray Allen fits well with the Celtics since he is primarily a shooter and will either be open when his defender commits to a slashing Pierce or will demand attention at all times, leaving the point guard [hopefully not Rondo since this move means that the Celtics will stay with a half-court offense, which requires a point guard with some perimeter shooting ability] open on the perimeter. Pierce will go back to his mid-range game, hopefully, and will score through easy jump shots and dribble penetration. Allen will score through longer jump shots. They are both fairly talented passers and they are both fairly unselfish. I think they fit well together, though one cannot predit chemistry. The move gives the Celtics three great scoring options. Pierce and Allen will combine for at least forty to forty-five points per game and Jefferson will be left in single coverage since the defending swing men cannot leave Pierce and Allen open. Jefferson does very well in single coverage and he will hopefully not lose his motivation and continue his high scoring output. Rondo is a serviceable point guard, but the Celtics should offer Maurice Williams the full mid level exception. With Allen the Celtics do not need their center to score if they choose to play Jefferson at power forward. If Al stays at center, Ryan Gomes is a decent alternative, though the Celtics still need to find a big man that can defend the pick and roll [Charlie Villanueva perhaps]. The Celtics do very well in this trade.
Re: Analysis of trade from the Celtics' perspectiv... What kind of depth chart will Boston use? </p> </p> I think Pierce/Allen/Jefferson is a good trio - Jefferson really needs to man up and flounder in this system</p>
Re: Analysis of trade from the Celtics' perspectiv... Sorry, this just looks like another in a long series of short-sighted CYA moves by the Celtics. They're becoming the Baltimore Orioles of the NBA. Pierce and Allen ain't getting them anywhere. Adding a young guy like Yi or Noah next to Jefferson would have been a great long run move.
Re: Analysis of trade from the Celtics' perspectiv... Yi is 22-25, meaning his potential is limited. He doesn't have a proper position, in my opinion, as his outside shot is rather poor making him an ineffective perimeter power forward and his post moves and strength restrict his inside ability. In addition, he didn't defend well in the Olympcis. He rebounds poorly. I think he is being hyped because of his size and athleticism, but I don't see how he is any better than Brandan Wright, who has comparable size and athleticism and can actually score inside and defend the post. Noah would fit well with the Celtics, but his ceiling is quite limited, in my opinion. Before the Allen trade the Celtics desperately needed to add a third scorer as neither Ryan Gomes, Rajon Rondo, Delonte West, or Kendrick Perkins can effectively be a third option. Noah would not have been that scorer. Only Al Thorton was available at the fifth selection and had the ability to come right in and be that third option.</p> The Celtics needed to make a move that could appease Pierce, who would have demanded a trade if the Celtics selected a player of little impact at the fifth selection, and their fans, who have stopped supporting the team financially. Allen was the right move because his contract expires just as his production declines. The Celtics will now commit to winning immediately rather than continuing their half-ass rebuilding [drafting young players and then trading for old palyers with long contracts]. </p>
Re: Analysis of trade from the Celtics' perspectiv... But the Celts are <u>still </u>half-assed rebuilding. They've still got a young PG, a really young frontcourt and Gerald Green. And two guys on the wrong side of 30. Awful.</p> It's very much the same position the Bulls are in, only worse because the Celtics' younger guys aren't as good and we've only got one older guy instead of two. </p>
Re: Analysis of trade from the Celtics' perspectiv... The move signifies a new direction within the team. There is about a five year window at a championship before the Portland dynasty takes off. The Celtics are allegedly committed to winning immediately with their attempt to trade for Kevin Garnett and their current trade for Ray Allen. They are doing this for multiple reasons, but that's not too important right now. The Celtics still posses some valuable trading commodities, namely Theo Ratliff's contract that insurance will cover, Gerald Green, the Celtics' '08 first-round draft pick, Minnesota's future first-round draft pick [which is not very valuable due to its protection]. The Celtics will make another move to bring in a quality point guard and a power forward that can defend the pick and roll. Their bench is awful, though I think the Celtics are not done trading. </p> The Celtics were not getting anywhere by continuing their rebuilding project and fans were becoming restless with the management and the ownership. Unfortunately for us, Ainge keeps his job because of this move.</p>
Re: Analysis of trade from the Celtics' perspectiv... I don't mind this move because as it stands now the Celtics are still not good enough to take their division and are now one injury away from another lotto year.</p> </p> Still, props for getting anything for Wally. </p>
Re: Analysis of trade from the Celtics' perspectiv... Ainge has been coasting for many, many years and surviving by simply getting lucky every so often. </p> I say this not as a U of Utah fan & graduate.... oh yes I do</p>
I liked the move for the Celtics. Sure Ray Allen might not be a guy who can carry a team anymore but a trio of Allen, Pierce, and Jefferson can do some damage in the East, especially if they come in as a 7 seed.
