2012-2012 Celtics Season

It's really, really hard to say that Bradley is a better player than Bledsoe. Bradley is a better on-ball defender (including in the pick-and-roll, where he is elite at "getting skinny" and fighting through picks), but Bledsoe is a better off-ball defender in terms of getting in the passing lanes, double-teaming the post, and coming from the weak side to challenge a shot. Bledsoe is also generally a much more polished, well-rounded player than Bradley, especially offensively: he's a better rebounder (5.2 boards/36 min; only 2.9 for Bradley), a better playmaker (5.4 assists/36, only 2.0 for Bradley), and better able to create his shot (scores 4 more points/36 than Bradley, including more shots and a higher percentage at the rim and more attempts at the free throw line). Bledsoe does turn the ball over more (but, then again, he also handles the ball a lot more) and is a worse mid-range shooter than Bradley (he is shooting much better from downtown than Bradley this year, but I'm not sure that will hold going forward-- Bradley was an elite corner three shooter by the end of last season.), but just about everywhere else, Bledsoe is the better player.

I do think a midseason trade with the Clippers is very unlikely, but I could see an offseason trade involving Pierce and/or Garnett that has Bledsoe coming to Boston. Bledsoe will be a restricted free agent after next year, and since the Clippers will struggle to re-sign him with Paul, Griffin, and Jordan already taking them close to the edge of the salary cap (especially with notorious cheapskate Donald Sterling as the owner), they may have to trade him a year early (a la Harden) to get the most value.

I read all this stuff about how the Celtics shouldn't target Bledsoe since they already have Rondo, but I think that's thinking about it the wrong way. Moving forward, Ainge should try and collect the assets necessary to create the next great Celtics team, and Bledsoe is by far the best asset who is semi-available. For floor-spacing reasons, it's less than ideal to play Bledsoe off the ball, but the same is true of Bradley, and if a backcourt of Rondo-Bradley can work, there's no reason you couldn't play Rondo-Bledsoe together as well, especially if Bledsoe continues to develop his three-point stroke. I don't think the fact that Vinny Del Negro insists on playing Bledsoe only at the 1 is a reason for Boston to be hesitant to make a trade, especially with Rondo coming off serious injury and not that far from unrestricted free agency himself.

I posted that when the Celtics were still quasi-competing. Losing Sullinger and Barbosa changes some things.

They wouldn't get Bledsoe straight up for Bradley anyway, even though the two are pretty much equals.

In terms of talent, yes. I would do that trade all day long. I hate Jordan's contract though, he's a good player, but his contract isn't good at all. If the Celtics were to get a 1st round pick back (very unlikely), I would do it.

It's not a horrible trade by any means for Boston, I think it's probably close to a "fair" trade, but I wouldn't call it 100% from my POV.

Deal is done, but for Barbosa's expiring contract instead. In other words, literally nothing.

Crawford ended up being for Barbosa and Collins, which means the Fab Melo era has now officially begun.

I'm disappointed that the Celtics were unable to find deals for Garnett and Piece, as I think their value only declines from here. When you also take into account the Terry/Bass/Green/Lee quartet of overpaid mediocrity, the Celtics are capped out for two more years beyond this one with the ceiling of a tough out in the second round.

Honestly, I might have just done the KG-for-Bledsoe/DJ and Pierce-to-the-Nets deals if they were on the table. Then try to move Terry/Bass before the deadline or during the offseason. As it is now, the Celtics look like an older version of the pre-Punto-trade Red Sox, and in a league with an effective salary cap and a reliance on superstars, that just won't cut it.

So I guess we have to root against the Clippers and hope KG doesn't retire. That way, maybe, LA and Paul (after re-signing) realizes that they need KG and we re-visit this summer?

Question, can we do a sign-and-trade with PIerce if we choose the non-guarantee option on his contract?

Yeah, but I was wondering if we'd get better assets if we, say, pay the $5M to PIerce and then work with him to sign a reasonable 2-year deal and trade him to a team with a chance to win.

If that's possible, I'd rather try that then trade him to someone who is looking to cut salary (likely asking us to take a bad multi-year deal in return - along with some "bribery" in the form of picks).

Somebody from the NY Post (Fred Kerber?) is reporting that Boston asked for MarShon Brooks, Mirza Teletovic, Kris Humphries and two first-round picks in exchange for Paul Pierce. If that's the case, a few points:

1) Not exactly priced to sell as that would be a lot to give up
2) I guess BRK would've used Wallace as the 4?
3) We'll never know but I'm curious as to the potential fall out Certainly this could've brought up the KG to LAC discussion again. But what about other moves? Would've lead to a logjam of SG (and no true PG). Maybe someday we can read about Danny's intended plan for the Trade Deadline of 2013.

Asked whether he wants the Heat to still be carrying that streak on Monday, [Paul Pierce] offered, “I really don’t even care. I hope they lose every game the rest of the season. I just worry about what this team does.”

I just love this team.

Pierce looks spent. Just in the first half, 2-10 shooting, no free throws or threes, 3 turnovers, struggling with his handle in traffic, getting beat on every 50/50 rebound, slow on rotations. He's had a mismatch basically the whole series (Shumpert, Kidd, Felton, Prigioni) and has struggled to create points for himself or others (granted, the Celtics also can't spread the floor and so the Knicks have been packing the paint, but he struggled to even get post position against guys he outweighs by 40 lbs). Just sad to see.

Goddamn right it is, but only later today.

KG has still been a force on the boards (17 rebounds today, 17 last game) and on defense (team-best +16 today), and he even tied a team-best with 6 assists. He hasn't had many shots this series (11.3 FGA) and hasn't converted those that he has gotten off (38.2% shooting percentage), but he was never supposed to carry this team on offense.

I still find Pierce's struggles much more concerning. As recently as a year or two ago, he would be destroying the likes of Kidd and Prigioni from the high post and finding the open man when he gets doubled. This series, he's having trouble receiving post entry passes, getting stripped every other possession, and getting smothered by a double-team whenever he thinks he has an opening. He's averaging 5.3 turnovers per game, which is just about as careless you can be with the ball and still get touches. He can still create some good looks and hit gutsy shots, but a team with Pierce as its offensive centerpiece just can't score enough to win these days. The Celtics are asking too much of him, and while he's giving it his all and succeeding more than he has any right to, it just clearly isn't enough.