Being a Grizzlies fan, I would love for this to go down. We get Jefferson, a good player with a lot of potential, and a top 3 pick to go with our other top 3 pick.Gasol would probably be mad though, saying that he wanted to go to a contender.
I really don't believe this would benefit the Celtics too much they are a very bad team at the moment currently lost 11 straight. Pau Gasol is a great center don't get me wrong but Al Jefferson has really stepped it up this season and he has the talent and potential to be just as good as Pau Gasol. I would hold on to this guy because the Celtics should have a bright future ahead of them with players like Jefferson, Pierce, Sczerbiak, Gomes, Telfair, Rondo, West, and Tony Allen.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (moses2121 @ Jan 28 2007, 11:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I really don't believe this would benefit the Celtics too much they are a very bad team at the moment currently lost 11 straight. Pau Gasol is a great center don't get me wrong but Al Jefferson has really stepped it up this season and he has the talent and potential to be just as good as Pau Gasol. I would hold on to this guy because the Celtics should have a bright future ahead of them with players like Jefferson, Pierce, Sczerbiak, Gomes, Telfair, Rondo, West, and Tony Allen.</div>And you forgot Gerald.
If this trade were to go down I HIGHLY and I mean HIGHLY doubt that the pick would be this years first rounder as some of you comment on.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WELCOMEtotheJUNGLE @ Jan 28 2007, 09:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I'm starting to turn my original thoughts about this trade idea. I mean I love AL J, but I'm sick of talking about how our team might be good in three years. Pau is a proven talented power forward who can produce on a nightly basis. Some celtics fans are just getting sick of this young player mentality. We've been doing it for three years now and where has it got us? I mean if we draft an Oden/Durant/Noah or whoever where will that get us? Sure, it might pan out but why not go with a sure thing? A lot of fans don't want Pierce to be traded but they don't want to trade any of our young guys. I want Pierce to stay here and be successful and for that to happen a lot young players will have to be moved at some point. If Ainge keeps going young before we know it Pierce's career will be over. That would be an absolute damn shame and I think a bigger slap in the face would be for Ainge to not get a big time player to help out Paul and continue taking trips to China to scout the next ZhiZhi Wang.</div>Durant and Oden are both sure things, and the rest of the draft is very good as well. If the Celts end up outside the top 5 then trading the pick might make sense, but giving it up now is crazy because we don't know what player it could yield. I agree that another project player wouldn't help at all, but there are plenty of big men in this draft who could make an impact next season, and that's very unusual. If the trade is Al, a 1st rounder next year, Ratliff, and a guard or two then I'd make the deal. Under no circumstances though would I give up this year's pick.
True there are plenty of talented big men in this draft but I'm sick of this waiting game, my whole life of being a Celtics fan I've seen one really good team which was filled with random veterans and was pretty much lucky enough to be as good as they were (2002) eastern conference finals team. This team has been too bad for too long and we have a player by the name of Paul Pierce who has been pouring his guts out on a nightly basis since the minute he threw on a Celtics uni. This waiting game has been going on for three years now, Ainge has an enormus decision to make after this season. Either get some big time players and build around Pierce or just trade him and use the young guys we have now and build the team that way. If we draft an Oden or Durant that's just going to set us back another season and I hate watching this organization waste a talented player's career like Paul Pierce's. At this point in his career he deserves better than to be part of a contiuing rebuilding process that has been pretty much a failure up to this point. I want Pierce to win a title and for that to happen we need to bring in a guy like Pau Gasol or somebody else that will be available. If not just trade him so he can get a title before he winds up being a Michael Finley at the age of 35 making $19 MIL a year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WELCOMEtotheJUNGLE @ Jan 30 2007, 02:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>True there are plenty of talented big men in this draft but I'm sick of this waiting game, my whole life of being a Celtics fan I've seen one really good team which was filled with random veterans and was pretty much lucky enough to be as good as they were (2002) eastern conference finals team. This team has been too bad for too long and we have a player by the name of Paul Pierce who has been pouring his guts out on a nightly basis since the minute he threw on a Celtics uni. This waiting game has been going on for three years now, Ainge has an enormus decision to make after this season. Either get some big time players and build around Pierce or just trade him and use the young guys we have now and build the team that way. If we draft an Oden or Durant that's just going to set us back another season and I hate watching this organization waste a talented player's career like Paul Pierce's. At this point in his career he deserves better than to be part of a contiuing rebuilding process that has been pretty much a failure up to this point. I want Pierce to win a title and for that to happen we need to bring in a guy like Pau Gasol or somebody else that will be available. If not just trade him so he can get a title before he winds up being a Michael Finley at the age of 35 making $19 MIL a year.</div>You need to watch Durant and Oden more. Both those guys will make a huge impact for whoever drafts them. They won't be setting anyone back. In fact they'll push whoever they play for into playoff contention.I know how you feel, but with a new coach, a more experienced roster, and another franchise guy in Oden/Durant the Celts could make a serious playoff run next season. You need to be patient, otherwise the Celts will end up like the 76ers wasting Iverson's prime. In the NBA you need to rebuild, which the Celtics are doing. Trading their future for Gasol will not win a championship.
Yeah, WTJ, I can definitely see where you are coming from, and I thought the EXACT same way a few months ago. In fact, I still sort of do. However, we have a chance to draft a franchise player in Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. One of those guys in Boston would be a dream come true. They are both going to be stars in the NBA, Oden being a once in a decade kind of center. This is a HUGE opportunity, and to trade Big Al or this pick for an All-Star big (who is 5 years older than our current good young big in Al Jefferson) would be a mistake.
I think we should stop talking about getting Oden or Durant until we actually win that place in the lottery. I don't really have a link, but I think Ainge said that he still thinks we have a shot at the playoffs if Paul and Wally get back and playing well soon enough.
I hear both of you, but if not even Gasol, we still need to get another great player, not Wally, not Ricky Davis, not Chris Mihm, or Raef LaFrentz, Ainge needs to go out there and get another great veteran. I know we all love these young guys but we need a great veteran presence (that can actually contribute a ton, unlike a theo ratliff) to go along with Paul and the insane amount of young guys we have on our team. Ainge said he wanted to have some chips to play with and he definately does now. All I'm saying is a lot of people on this board are too in love with our young guys, everyone is hesitant to give up a Perk, AL J, D-West, Gomes (I'm guilty of not wanting to give up Gomes), but we're going to need to deal out some young guys and get something good in return if we draft an Oden/Durant to help out the development and to balance out the veteran experience with inexperience to make this team into a contender.Also just to clear up, I'm kinda in the middle here, I want to get a Duran/Oden. But I would also love to get a guy like Pau Gasol (he's also only 26 which isn't old by any means) to help out this young team and get us closer to winning a championship. We all love the young guys but veterans are a neccesity. I just don't want to see another 4 year goes by and have us going oh remember when we could have got Pau Gasol? Or oh man I can't believe all these young guys never panned out because that could happen too. Just because you go young and everything looks great, doesn't mean it's going to pan out that way.
sorry WTJ but Oden or Durant would make us contenders...you must not watch them much..they arent "projects"..they're going to be franchise playerswe can probably pick up a good vet in the offseasonid rather get Oden or Durant (if we get a top pick) AND a solid vet who doesn't have injury prone knees..dump Wally...dump Telfair..dump Theo (not that Theo's bad but we need to trade him to get ANY good vet because of his contract)...fire Doc and stick with the core of young guys we have...then we'll be contenders (I HOPE)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (yankshater213 @ Jan 30 2007, 04:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think we should stop talking about getting Oden or Durant until we actually win that place in the lottery. I don't really have a link, but I think Ainge said that he still thinks we have a shot at the playoffs if Paul and Wally get back and playing well soon enough.</div> Obviously he said that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>sorry WTJ but Oden or Durant would make us contenders...you must not watch them much..they arent "projects"..they're going to be franchise playerswe can probably pick up a good vet in the offseasonid rather get Oden or Durant (if we get a top pick) AND a solid vet who doesn't have injury prone knees..dump Wally...dump Telfair..dump Theo (not that Theo's bad but we need to trade him to get ANY good vet because of his contract)...fire Doc and stick with the core of young guys we have...then we'll be contenders (I HOPE)</div>I have seen Durant and Oden play, more Durant than Oden. I understand Oden's talent and he is an absolute monster but Oden is 99.9% going to go #1 and knowing the Celtics luck in the past decade, I'm not putting money us on winning the #1 pick if we are a lottery team. Durant is unbelievable, his defense is great, he can shoot the three for a big man, he's developing an Antawn Jamison inside ourtside type of game but he does more of the little things than Antawn does. I know his game and he is an unbelievable college basketball player. But he's a freshman CB32, he turned 18 in September of 2006, to think this kid is going to come in and make us contenders is absolute insanity. I also never said he was a project but now that you bring it up he may infact be one. He's skinny as a rail man, this kid is going to have to put on some serious poundsNot to mention take a good look at are roster!!!!! even if we get Durant look at we have to deal with.Tony Allen (coming off of an absolute devastating injury)Ryan GomesGerald Green(still learning the game and improving defense)Al Jefferson (no complaints, few little injuries, but he's been a double double machine)Michael Olowokandi (debatebale wether he'll be back, no1 really cares anyway)Kendrick Perkins (having a down year, after the games he missed in december hasn't done much, still also learning the game)Paul PierceLeon PoweTheo Ratliff (Might be done, huge contract)Allan Ray (small, undersized scorer)Rajon Rondo (wicked young, still learning the game)Wally Szczerbiak (riddled with injuries, huge contract)Sebastian Telfair (bust as far as I am concerned)Scalabrine(blah)Delonte WestThat roster is an absolute mess. So many young guys, so many injuries, I mean I'm sorry I don't buy if Durant comes in here we're contenders. Maybe 4 or 5 years down the road but in the near future I just don't buy that. You say dump wally, dump ratliff, and dump telfair like it's so easy and with Ainge's history I have no faith in this guy making a good deal. And pick up a solid vet in the off-season? What solid vet in the off-season? How about picking up one now. If we could make a deal for a guy like Pau Gasol I don't see how Ainge could pass this down. YOUNG PLAYERS DO NOT MAKE YOUNG PLAYERS BETTER. It's as simple as that, look at the games we are losing, we can get some good leads and we just end up losing it down the stretch. That's a tell tale sign of a young, inexperienced team.
Well anyways. I def would not do this trade. Jefferson can put up Gasol numbers, so why trade him and a pick for and older Gasol, simple as that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WELCOMEtotheJUNGLE @ Jan 30 2007, 11:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I have seen Durant and Oden play, more Durant than Oden. I understand Oden's talent and he is an absolute monster but Oden is 99.9% going to go #1 and knowing the Celtics luck in the past decade, I'm not putting money us on winning the #1 pick if we are a lottery team. Durant is unbelievable, his defense is great, he can shoot the three for a big man, he's developing an Antawn Jamison inside ourtside type of game but he does more of the little things than Antawn does. I know his game and he is an unbelievable college basketball player. But he's a freshman CB32, he turned 18 in September of 2006, to think this kid is going to come in and make us contenders is absolute insanity. I also never said he was a project but now that you bring it up he may infact be one. He's skinny as a rail man, this kid is going to have to put on some serious pounds Not to mention take a good look at are roster!!!!! even if we get Durant look at we have to deal with. Tony Allen (coming off of an absolute devastating injury) Ryan Gomes Gerald Green(still learning the game and improving defense) Al Jefferson (no complaints, few little injuries, but he's been a double double machine) Michael Olowokandi (debatebale wether he'll be back, no1 really cares anyway) Kendrick Perkins (having a down year, after the games he missed in december hasn't done much, still also learning the game) Paul Pierce Leon Powe Theo Ratliff (Might be done, huge contract) Allan Ray (small, undersized scorer) Rajon Rondo (wicked young, still learning the game) Wally Szczerbiak (riddled with injuries, huge contract) Sebastian Telfair (bust as far as I am concerned) Scalabrine(blah) Delonte West That roster is an absolute mess. So many young guys, so many injuries, I mean I'm sorry I don't buy if Durant comes in here we're contenders. Maybe 4 or 5 years down the road but in the near future I just don't buy that. You say dump wally, dump ratliff, and dump telfair like it's so easy and with Ainge's history I have no faith in this guy making a good deal. And pick up a solid vet in the off-season? What solid vet in the off-season? How about picking up one now. If we could make a deal for a guy like Pau Gasol I don't see how Ainge could pass this down. YOUNG PLAYERS DO NOT MAKE YOUNG PLAYERS BETTER. It's as simple as that, look at the games we are losing, we can get some good leads and we just end up losing it down the stretch. That's a tell tale sign of a young, inexperienced team.</div> Just letting you know, you quoted playaofthegame, that wasn't me. Just letting you know because you directed it towards me and I never said that they'd make us instant contenders (or anything you refuted in this post for that matter).
my bad celticballa, totally f'd that one up on my part, I thought that was your post in the beginning of this page.....my bad
Durant may be a teenager but he's playing better than almost anyone in the NCAA right now. I think he's had over 20 points in 19 out of the 21 games he's played in. Hardly anyone is that consistant in college, much less a freshman. Sure he may struggle some his rookie season, but he'll be contending for an all-star spot by his 2nd or third year. He's that good. I completely agree that the Celts need a veteran presence, but they can't sacrifice their future for it. If they can get Gasol without giving away this pick than I say do it. If they can get any solid vet for a few young guys than they should make that trade as well. Ainge has accumulated too many young players so the dynamic of the roster needs to change.
