Are We Completely Sold on Glen Davis?

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Maybe I'm just trying to direct the focus away from Rajon Rondo for the first time in what seems like months. Perhaps I'm just in a Glen Davis-type of mood lately. Or maybe, I'm not entirely convinced that he's the player we need to sign in order to win a championship next season.

Call me a pundit, a blogger, a reporter, or whatever, but it's essentially my job to raise these questions and answer them in my own way as best I can. The more I thought about this one earlier, the more I began to question it.

Is Glen Davis the ideal free agent for the Boston Celtics? Is he the guy we really, really want? Is he worth us shelling out a hefty portion of our mid-level exception in order to re-obtain his services?

Let's try and look into the future a little bit here. If we do sign Davis, he will, without a doubt, be pushed back to the pine next season. While we wouldn't consider it a demotion, simply because of Kevin Garnett's return to health and the starting lineup, would we consider it the best place for Davis?

Was the "Ticket Stub" that we saw in this most recent postseason (the one who averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds, while consistently knocking down his 15-foot jump shot, including one of the buzzer beating variety) the real Glen Davis?

Or was it an average NBA player thrust into a starting lineup of superior talent, whose game was subsequently raised because of the strength of his court mates, rather than his own innate ability?

When he finds his minutes slashed and his opportunities cut short, how plentiful will his production be? Surely we can't expect 15 points per game from him, but will he fade into obscurity as a result of this shift?

While it could ultimately depend on the strength of his bench mates around him, it would appear that Davis would have to act as something of a rock for the second unit. Surely, when in need of offense, they would have to look his way, right? At least try and run his classic pick-and-pop play in an attempt to free him up 15 feet away from the rim?

While I can't speak for opposing coaches and their defensive schemes or principles, wouldn't it be fairly easy to devise a scheme that combats Davis's pick-and-pop play?

And if you take away a guy's bread and butter, what does he have left? Sure, Davis will bang inside for the occasional layup or up and under move, but that jumper is what he covets. It's what he's worked so hard for, no?

Will Davis simply have to refine his game? Instead of being a classic "impact" player, he might need to transform into a classic "scrappy/energy" player, while scoring most of his points on putbacks and free throws, resulting from the fouls he would have to draw from the offensive rebounds he would be securing.

And what if things don't go so well for Davis off the bat? What if he rejoins the Celtics, without signing a whopping contract and ends up a shade of the player we all witnessed last postseason? Wouldn't we all be disappointed?

And wouldn't Davis be left sitting there, not thinking about that night's opponent, but rather the contract he didn't sign with that Other Team—the one he'd be starting for right now and making five or six million dollars? Isn't that only human nature?

And doesn't Davis exemplify human nature better than most? How would a third-year player, who had an opportunity to sign his first significant contract feel if he missed out on all that money and ended up playing poorly for the team he did sign with for considerably less?

I suppose now we're at that point where we stop rooting for the guy because he's no longer that innocent rookie or second year player, comfortably under contract.

Because two years ago we always pumped our fists when Davis put in a bucket and we were generally excited when he entered game because we loved all our young guys getting opportunities to strut their stuff with the big boys.

But now that Davis has something of a chance to rob the Celtics, we aren't necessarily so supportive. Because if we sign him now, we expect him to make a sincere difference.

It can no longer be, "Let's see if Glen Davis gets in the game tonight!", but it must rather be, "Wow, Glen Davis had another great game last night!" at the water cooler the next morning. Is one post season with four very good players beside him enough to prove his worth? Or do the question marks still envelope him?

Only time will tell. But is it time the Celtics can afford to spend finding out?

Stay Tuned.

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