The Boston Celtics capped one of the greatest back-to-back season turnaround in NBA history last season by winning an unprecidented 17th Championship with their impressive six game dismissal of the highly rated Los Angeles Lakers.
By now, we are all familiar with the two big acquisitions made around this time twelve months ago that helped transform this dwindling franchise back into one of the most exciting and talent-laden teams around -- a return to the form like that from the 50s till 1986, when the Celtics last won it all prior to this year.
So where do they go from here?
Well the logical assumption is they've got a pretty legitimate shot at repeating next year; but is the management, led by last years' mastermind GM Danny Ainge, team owner Wycliffe Grousbeck and the likeable hard-noised coach Doc Rivers, about to let it all slip away?
I have two words for you: James Posey.
James Posey was a vital component to the teams success last year. When the Celtics big-three of Pierce, Garnett and Allen lost focus or drive, he stepped in off the bench time and time again and played with a tenacity and exuberance that led to Jeff Van Gundy -- the tell-it-like-it-is sports broadcaster and possibly one of the most underrated NBA head-coaches of the modern era -- to herald to the world that if he was coaching again, to "give me (him) James Posey"!
That is a sentiment that many NBA teams share including the highly popular and up and coming New Orleans Hornetts team who are widely rumored to be the front runners in acquiring the unrestricted free agent's services for the next few years.
It was initially reported that Posey wanted to resign with the champs for a long term deal at around the mid-level exception (approximately $5.8 Million per season) earlier in the off-season. Instead, the Celtics went out and made a very publicized offer of their entire mid-level exception to the newly (at the time) unrestricted free-agent, Corey Maggette.
As the teams only have one mid-level exception to offer, this left James Posey, a heart-and-soul kind of player, out in the cold. While Maggette may be more of an offensive weapon than Posey, he has virtually no defensive prowess, which was Boston's preached key to success last season.
And why did the team need more offensive firepower in the first place? Granted, starting point guard Rajon Rando and center Kendrick Perkins have serviceable skills only on rare occasions, but for their entire careers, Pierce, Garnett and Allen are among the most potent scorers at their respective positions of all time, combining for roughly 70 points per game.
I'm sorry, but no matter how talented the rest of the team are in other aspects of the game -- mainly defensive -- if their offensive game is so anemic that between 7 or 8 guys they can't come up with 20 or so points a game, should they really be in the NBA?
So where does that leave the current champs? Well, Maggette's taken the money and ran, signing a highly lucrative deal with the Golden State Warriors; and now that they've made it publicly known that Posey was definitely their second choice, Boston is stuck with trying to woo back the star player whose intensity and physical and mental toughness could inspire any team he's on.
And what of the rest of the team? Garnett, Pierce and Allen, unquestionably some of the greatest players to lace up the kicks and hit the hardwood, who are praised for their passion and desire to win now have a championship.
Will they still have the fire to play every second of every game with the heart, soul and the obvious skill required to win it all? Or will the phases they seem to go through where they become complacent -- which can be witnessed by all if they go back and watch the coverage from this year's finals -- begin to get longer and more frequent without a firecracker like James Posey coming in off the bench to give his team that spark when it's needed; to lift a clearly talented team beyond all others come the month of June next year.
comments (10) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
Baz - NEWS...The NBA is a business!!
Do you think it's smart for any team to offer a 31 year-old player a 4 or 5 year deal at the mid-level?
Why do you think the Cavs and Lakers have pulled back? They offered him the mid-level for 3 years, just like the Celtics. Posey wants a 5 or 6 year deal. The C's and other teams need to build for the future, and cannot count on a 35 or 36 year-old bench player producing the same as he had in the past. It's a huge financial risk that could leave a team strapped in the future.
Unfortunately, they're not the Knicks - loaded with cash and prepared to pay the luxury tax.
Please be smart before you post about a team being "greedy".
They're no more greedy than any other team. They all want to win, and only have so much money to spend in order to do so.
about 1 month ago
Baz, I enjoyed reading the article, but I think you play a little loose with the facts. Everything I've read and seen suggests that the Celtics never made an offer to Maggette. Yes, Doc talked to him on the phone, but no offer was ever made. Doc talks to a lot of past and present players on the phone, so I think many people read a lot into one conversation. Doc himself said that Maggette was a long-time friend of the family (Doc and Maggette's mother went to the same high school).
The idea of Maggette playing for Boston was all rumor, like so many things we read this time of the year. Don't buy it. The Celtics ownership flat out said that they were not pursuing Maggette right after the rumors emerged. I suspect a team with their eyes on Posey started the whole Maggette-Celtics rumor to begin with. I suspect that Posey and his agent know this too.
The main thing that may keep Posey from signing another contract with the Celtics will be the duration of the deal he is offered. Posey would love to have 4 years at the maximum MLE, while the Celtics would be happier offering only 2 years.
Does Posey deserve the MLE for the next 2 years? Definitely. What about the next 4 (when he will be 35 years old!)? Probably not. If a team is prepared to put a 4-year offer on the table for Posey, then they can and should have him.
The Celtics are not being greedy...they are simply making sure they don't restrict their options 3-4 years down the track by locking in what will be a 34-35 year old bench player earning nearly $6 million a year.
Posey is doing the sensible thing for himself by holding out and the Celtics are doing the sensible thing for the organization by offering him the maximum MLE for only the next couple of years. There is a key difference between being greedy and being financially responsible. If anything, Posey (or his manager, more likely) is being a little greedy expecting a 4-year deal after playing just one season in green.
Please remember that Posey had struggled with his fitness and was without a contract when the Celtics gave him a life-line last August. At the time, no other team was showing serious interest in Posey. Everyone with the Celtics organization says they want Posey back and I believe they do. What they don't want is someone eating up cap space 4 years from now, given they will have the imminent retirements of Pierce, Allen and Garnett to deal with at the time.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks Gaz, I enjoyed reading your reply and fully understand and appreciate the arguements you put forth.
There are obviously always two (and most often more) sides to every story. Perhaps the long-term aspects of these decisions are overlooked in this article, but given the age of the Celtics big-three and key support personal (namely Brown & Cassell), it is hard to look towards the future too much. The Celtics must-win now, there will simply not be a tomorrow, and Posey helps them do that now. I think Posey would prefer a 5 yr; Boston want a 3 yr deal; and they should compromise on 4yrs.
There should however be no doubt that an eventual fall after the new-age Boston dynasty fades is inevitable. It's just the way things work. LA and Chicago have both had to contend with it in recent years. The only difference in LA as opposed to Chicago, they've seemed to keep the right young players (Farmar & Bynum) and let go of the wrong ones (Brand & Aldridge) respectively.
from about 1 month ago
Gaz - Great response. Mature, common-sensical, unemotional. Responsible to both parties central to the original posters column.
about 1 month ago
Thanks Gaz, I enjoyed reading your reply and fully understand and appreciate the arguements you put forth.
There are obviously always two (and most often more) sides to every story. Perhaps the long-term aspects of these decisions are overlooked in this article, but given the age of the Celtics big-three and key support personal (namely Brown & Cassell), it is hard to look towards the future too much. The Celtics must-win now, there will simply not be a tomorrow, and Posey helps them do that now. I think Posey would prefer a 5 yr; Boston want a 3 yr deal; and they should compromise on 4yrs.
There should however be no doubt that an eventual fall after the new-age Boston dynasty fades is inevitable. It's just the way things work. LA and Chicago have both had to contend with it in recent years. The only difference in LA as opposed to Chicago, they've seemed to keep the right young players (Farmar & Bynum) and let go of the wrong ones (Brand & Aldridge) respectively.
about 1 month ago
Baz,
Actually, the C's are building for the future, as is every other team. They drafted J.R.Giddens and Bill Walker, and still have their 2 core youths, Perkins and Rondo, plus tons of youth off the bench.
Yes, the team is built to win now, but they are not shortsighted which supports points that they don't want to sign an aging veteran for more than 3 years. There's always an eventual fall, we all know that. It will be the same for upstarting teams as well.
For LA's sake, let's hope both Farmar and Bynum live up to their expectations. Bynum has really only played 8 weeks of solid ball, and coming off a knee injury may keep him from being the player everyone expected. He really didn't play well against Perkins during the regular season, so we'll see. Also, Farmar really does still have a lot to prove - defensive skills, if any, specifically, but they look good.
about 1 month ago
Also, the C's just got much younger. Brown and Cassel will likely not return. Eldest statesmen - Ray Allen - 33.
about 1 month ago
Baz,
Celtic's fan? I am, but even I'm not as passionate about the fate of Posey.
I'm curious though. Posey shouldn't be surprised by their standing offer. After all, he took substantially less to sign with the Celtics to begin with given a chance at another championship. I think it's fair under the circumstances, and considering the upcoming youth movement in Boston.
Love the new blood!
This topic was actually written about in an article on ESPN. According to this article, the C's made smart moves in the offseason with their support signings by luring saavy veterans to play for a potential championship team, and in the process, take a pay-cut. In this week's Sports Illustrated, they were rated among the most efficient spenders among NBA teams.
They have to be - This ain't NY or LA! This credit shouldn't be given solely to the Celtics as many championship teams (most recently, the Spurs) have been able to sign veterans for cheap in the past with the hopes to win a title. But, still, they were smart enough to work that angle - and without a lot of money, NEEDED to.
I'm glad the ownership group is thinking toward the future. I just hope they don't make this an emotional decision and sign Posey for more than 3 years. Ownership knows how we feel about him and that we love him. But, we want them to make smart business decisions for the sake of the future. If that means Posey decides to leave for more money or a longer contract - that's business, and a risk every team takes and has to live with. If he goes, we all wish him the best.
Once a Celtic - always a Celtic!
from about 1 month ago
Hi Alexa,
Yes the Celtics are in my list of fav NBA teams. Pierce's team always has been, he's gotta be one of the best overall (until last season, or perhaps it just seemed that way given his team's struggles) underrated players around.
Truth be told I wasn't a huge Posey fan till last season (especially seeing his HEAT beat another one of my favs the MAVS in 06), but after being given the privileged of seeing him play so much this last season as Celtics games were always broadcasted, I began to appreciate what he offered as a player, and especially to the Celtics team. Van Gundy's a huge fan of Posey, and I am a huge fan of Van Gundy.
I had hoped he'd be at least considered to be Chicago's new coach. Hopefully Del Negro can prove all us nay-sayers wrong. At least he seems to be surrounding himself with some pretty knowledgeable guys.
A Bulls Vs Celtics and Spurs Vs Mavs conference line-up next year would be my dream scenario. No matter who wins I wouldn't mind; but then again, it's always better to have a clear cut favorite, especially in those tight call situations. Nothing like yelling abuse at the tv while watching sports center while the girlfriends asleep (oops), am I right fellas?
29 days ago
I don't expect too much from the Bulls next year except an improved record. They certainly have the talent to become a force, but I think they're a little young. I believe they're the youngest in the NBA.
I'm also not worried about Del Negro, and I don't know why. I probably should be, but my gut says he's a good fit.
besides the Celts, I have a little sweet spot for the Magic too. Big Dwight Howard fan!
write a new comment