<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Player introductions at the final Citizens Bank Summer Caravan stop produced an awkward moment. Walter McCarty and Raef LaFrentz were the featured guests for the free basketball clinic at the Cambridge Family YMCA late last week. McCarty's presence yielded chants of "Walter, Walter" from the crowd of 125 kids. LaFrentz left the young fans wondering, "Who is he?" The projected starting power forward for the Celtics will have to wait for instant recognition. He hopes that wait will not last as long as his rehab from right knee surgery. LaFrentz has spent more time recovering (seven months and counting) than he has in a Boston uniform (less than two months). The kids at the caravan stop looked at LaFrentz's 6-foot-11-inch frame and took it as an article of faith that he played for the Celtics. His 17-game stint last season produced unremarkable averages of 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game. By the end of his ill-fated introduction to Boston basketball, LaFrentz did not even have enough lift in his right leg to hit open jump shots. When LaFrentz returns to the court for training camp in October, it will be, by his own estimation, the first time in 2 1/2 years he has played on a strong and healthy right leg. But he still feels pain in it, and that may remain for years.</div> <div align="center">Link</div> He is going to be a vital part to this team, so the Celtics are really going to need him. They would have done fairly well, if he wasn't injured last season, but it's a good sign that he's finally recovering. However, he sustained a serious injury and I doubt he will be there to start the season.
i dont think he'll contribute that much even if he is healthy. he's a mediocre center who shows flashes of brilliance (if u can call it that) but is alwasy inconsistant and frequently hurt. no matter how u spin it. that walker trade was idiotic on the part of the celtics
Oh yeah! Idiotic! Sure it was... I mean, they could have got Jason Terry, Alan Henderson, and a pick if they held out one year. Instead that moron Ainge only got... -Lafrentz -Welsch -Payton (Mills=Atkins=Payton) -West (Dallas' first rounder) -Allen (Detroit's 1st rounder) -3 mil in cash -3.3 off the cap number (L. Hunter) Danny Ainge is such an idiot...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 44caliberThrila:</div><div class="quote_post">Oh yeah! Idiotic! Sure it was... I mean, they could have got Jason Terry, Alan Henderson, and a pick if they held out one year. Instead that moron Ainge only got... -Lafrentz -Welsch -Payton (Mills=Atkins=Payton) -West (Dallas' first rounder) -Allen (Detroit's 1st rounder) -3 mil in cash -3.3 off the cap number (L. Hunter) Danny Ainge is such an idiot...</div> I'm gonna have to agree with 44caliberThrila's dry sarcasm on this one. I liked Antoine too, but people really need to stop bashing on Danny for the trade. It was tough for everyone to take at the time, but it was a good trade, and Ainge is smarter than most people think. He's slowly building a contender. I'm not sure if LaFrentz will be there at the start of the season, but if healthy, he will contribute. Sure, he is overpaid, but the fact that he's out East will really help him. And if it's true that this is the first time he's been healthy in 2.5 years, he could really be good.
Raef Lafrentz can be a good player, when healthy and given the chance. Despite an injury plagued career, he still manages to put up career averages of just under 12 points and 7 rebounds per game. If he starts, and stays healthy I think he could have his best season in Boston.
Thanks to help from my pal stock, I was informed about this post. I just want to say Raef will come back and play 70+ games averaging about 12 and 6 at the beginning of the year to around 14 and 7 near mid to late season. He is a great player when healthy, and is the most under rated player in the game today. Everyone thinks that he will flop but I'm here to say he will become a contributor to this maturing team. With a supporting cast of Gary Payton (if he stays), Paul Pierce (Kansas teammates), Ricky Davis, Jiri Welsch, and Mark Blount he should be in perfect place to start at power forward. He should get more looks as the season goes on and I am looking forward to watching him again this year.
I here you guess on the raef issue, but you also have to remember he was on a good Dallas team that had main scoring options in Dirk and Nash, Finley, and left little room for others to contribute, ala, raef & bradley left to make noise, so he didn't get a chance to touch the ball very much. And he figured 12pts, and then 9 the next season till his knee gave out again. Traded to us, then he showed something in the early games and put up like 14pts and 8rbs, then his knee gave out again. I def, think he is underrated, but also if he is stays healthy can be a contributor, lets see how long he can be a key player without his knee giving out again.
The only thing about the Walker trade I didnt like was getting Raef's ridiculus and large contract, but otherwise...look whats happened to Walker. He is the town bicycle, every team is getting a ride.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">he's a mediocre center who shows flashes of brilliance (if u can call it that) but is alwasy inconsistant and frequently hurt.</div> Well, he should be fine with us then, because he'll be spending most of this time at Power Forward, not Center. When healthy, Raef can still be a 12+pts/6-10 rbs/2blks per game guy, IMO.
