Make it Happen, Ainge
Ever since the MIami Heat let my man Gary Payton walk and the Celtics built their super-squad with a shaky PG situation, I added up 2 and 2 and got 4: Boston should sign GP to shore up their bench and their backcourt. According to the Boston Globe, at least one party wants it to happen. Apparently right after the C’s dropped Wednesday’s game against Detroit, GP called his agent:
“[Payton] called me and said, ‘Hey, I’m reminding you that the Celtics are a team I feel like I can help,’ ” said agent Aaron Goodwin.
The Celtics have been pleased with the play of second-year point guard Rajon Rondo. But there has been a feeling that Boston still needs a veteran backup at the position.
Some people would say The Glove is done. He’s 39 years old and he wasn’t exactly tearing it up in his last stint with the Heat. I look at it this way: The man wants another ring, he’s a better point guard than Eddie House or Gabe Pruitt, and I know damn well he wouldn’t have (like Tony Allen) bit on Chauncey Billups‘ up-fake that ultimately cost the C’s that game against the Pistons. I say they should pick him up, but the Celtics don’t seem too eager to do it.
You can read the rest of the Globe article HERE.
December 21st, 2007 at 1:57 pm
penske1 says:
What can it hurt… I’m sure he’d take a minimum contract – chump change to pad a weak position. Go for it!
December 21st, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Myrie in NY says:
Glove ain’t the answer. Danny Ainge needs to make a deal with Portland for Steve Blake. Blake is the perfect fit for the Celts.
December 21st, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Celts Fan says:
The Glove was good while he was here, people like him, he listed Doc as one of his favorite coaches, and the only way that backfires is if a good pickup like Sam Cassell or Damon Stoudamire get bought out mid-season (definitely possible, but more likely to be in the off-season I’d guess.) I say make the damn move. I’ve always liked GP, let him get ring #2 here!
December 21st, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Captain America says:
GP can give you some minutes but who do you kick off the bench? Does Ainge give ticks to someone who has no future or someone who has all his future ahead of him?
December 21st, 2007 at 3:02 pm
NYCTops says:
Future ain’t the question. It’s all bout now dog. Worry bout next year when next year comes.
December 21st, 2007 at 3:03 pm
The Jed says:
I’d rather see them spend the cash on PJ Brown.
December 21st, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Celts Fan says:
so would I Jed, but it’s looking like they’re holding that roster spot for a buyout guy or a PG. I’d kill for a legit low post guy that can defend centers. I don’t mind Scot Pollard, but as the 3rd center, not the 2nd.
and Captain America, the Celtics have an extra roster spot for just this type of reason, so they don’t have to cut anyone.
December 21st, 2007 at 3:13 pm
T.M.P.B.W.O.T.P. says:
The Globe article said the Celtics have two open roster spots. They could bring in PJ Brown and Payton.
December 21st, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Myrie says:
Why don’t the Celts bring back Dana Barros? lol
And serves them right for their PG situation. They traded away both their point guards in the off season. What were they thinking? At least keep one of ‘em.
Delonte West went to Seattle in the Ray Allen trade deal and Bassy went to Minny in the KG package. And now here they are looking for a decent point while buying time with Rondo. Serves them right. How foolish to trade both.
Has Danny Ainge done anything good since landing that GM spot in Beantown?
December 21st, 2007 at 3:53 pm
D-Lite says:
You guys are so fickle one loss doesn’t a ship sink, any GM worth their salt would trade both the ex-celtic PG’s for what they got back. I know we all have sentiment for the “Glove” but GP has become a “Mitten” at 39, and you think he talked trash before. One can only imagine now that he has hardware. Remember GP always did carry some baggage. Name one PG GP has mentored? or been an example to? Patience boyz
December 21st, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Celts Fan says:
Myrie, they traded their PGs because Rondo IS the pg of the future. They traded both BACKUPS. Delonte was nice, but you have to trade someone you like to get something of value. It’s the backup spot they need to fix. Gabe Pruitt was supposed to potentially fill that role, but he’s not ready yet. Doc also said Ray Allen could play point (which he can, but it’s kind of counter productive to have your best spot-up shooter being a point except in spot duty.) Everyone in Boston knew it’d end up like this, but for KG and Ray Allen (and some fuckin relevancy finally) it’s worth it.
and TMBabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz, the Celtics only have 1 roster spot open. Wherever you read that was just wrong (unless they waived Gabe Pruitt – they didn’t – or Brandon Wallace – as high as they were on him and the fact I never heard anything about it and saw him at a game recently, I doubt it.)
December 21st, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
There should be some rule against contender-hopping like that.
December 21st, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Celts Fan says:
and by the way, Gabe Pruitt projects to be the same player as Delonte West within a few years, it’ll just take some time, so great move with that pick. Dude was running shit in the D-league and in garbage time recently, which is a start…
and Myrie, last I checked, Ainge engineered the KG deal and has had some great drafts. His record with free agents (excluding James Posey) has been pretty horrid though, I’ll give you that much…
December 21st, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Celts Fan says:
Bust Jlaze, I have no problem whatsoever with guys jumping from contender to contender if they want. If the team you’re on doesn’t want you anymore and you want to keep playing, go play for the team you can win with. Who would want to be hanging on and playing with a shit team? Having said that, when guys like Reggie Miller have the heart to stay w/ 1 team their entire career and not bail when it becomes clear they won’t win a ring (KG was in that ilk too since he never made a peep in Minn., they traded him, he would have gladly stayed!) it’s well respected and people do recognize that loyalty. Also, guys that do chase a ring like that aren’t remembered for carrying a team to a title as much as being a part of one. People remember that, even though GP has a ring, it wasn’t with the Sonics in his Glove days, it was with the Heat in his “If I had a ring, I may’ve retired a few years ago” days. The only person that has a right to say guys shouldn’t do that are the players themselves (and I guess the teams since someone has to want them.) Legacies are a concern of the common media and fan. Players just want to compete and win. MJ could have left his legacy perfect. Instead, he chose to come back to Wash. simply because he wanted to play.
Guys that have that mental makeup that, “I don’t need to be the man, I just want to play and win,” are all around pro sports. You check your ego at the door or you’re bound for failure.
December 21st, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
Nice points, celts…but didn’t GP GET traded to the Celtics a couple years ago, like right before landing with the Heat, and he REFUSED to play with them? Then he maneuvers things to end up in Miami. And NOW he wants to go back to Boston? They should slap him in the MOUF!
December 21st, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Celts Fan says:
nope Bust, he was traded FROM the Celts for Antoine Walker (after signing there as a FA) then refused to play in Atlanta and came back to the C’s as a FA.
December 21st, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Brown says:
Celts Fan, they cut Brandon Wallace last week.
December 21st, 2007 at 8:53 pm
NJAggie says:
Are we talking about the same Gary Payton who got cooked by the sam Chauncey Billups who gave drugs to the celtics yesterday when he was 5 years younger? They’d be better off making a move for Lynn Greer or hitting up Jayson Williams. Why is everyone so bent on putting dirty drawers on a clean body??? The celtics don’t need his old ass with his Divo attitude coming in to disrupt a cool locker room.
December 22nd, 2007 at 3:06 am
karan says:
gp has been to the nba finals with 3 different teams
dude is a winner, straight up
December 22nd, 2007 at 3:32 am
Gareth says:
GP can’t play anymore…he can’t shoot or play D. Adding him risks ruining the Cs chemistry. He’s got a mouth and an attitude. GP backed into his last 2 finals appearances and was no shows for both getting torn up by Mr. Big Shot in ‘04. He wouldn’t have bit on the up fake b/c he probably couldn’t have chased Billups out to the Ft line.
December 22nd, 2007 at 5:18 am
Marvin says:
I always liked GP. Things changed after the finals of 2004. So for him no to jump into Chauncy’s pump fake is true, cause Chaunchy left GP in the last game of of the 2004 finals. Ofcourse i would for him to get a ring, but don’t expect him to do seriouw damage.
December 22nd, 2007 at 10:43 am
bucketz says:
i heard GP was sayin he wanted to jump on with the patriots for the playoffs…wut a lil slut..he jus waits for a team to get good and wants to jump on..a slut move
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 am
doc says:
GP washed the fuck up.
December 24th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Celts Fan says:
maybe Doc, but I bet he can still dribble the ball up to and over half court, which, apparently, our backup PGs cant.
you’re right too Brown, they did cut Brandon Wallace on Thursday (which was a shame, dude looked like he had some promise. It won’t surprise me at all to see him pop back up with someone else in a year or 2 and be a Gerald Wallace/Josh Smith type. Having said that, this team’s too good to have that kind of guy taking up a roster spot. Now let’s use that shit to go sign PJ Brown so Scot Pollard doesn’t EVER get in a big game again.)
December 24th, 2007 at 11:57 am
Kudabeen says:
Pruitt or Allen can fall back (more likely Pruitt). Gary would be more of a position coach than an on the floor producer. He can show an up and coming defensive PG the ropes while also being that other voice that is obviously needed, since Tony Allen didn’t hear the first two times not to bite on pump fake that they knew chauncey was going to do.
Who else are the checking for? are they trying to pick up Cassell, Damon…I wanted to see them steal Anthony Johnson from the hawks, but like many others including the Hawks, they sleep on what he brings to the game as a do it all vet.
December 26th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Vertman says:
I haven’t heard Paytons’ nickname in ages! The glove, that’s funny. He was DAMN GREAT though…..like 5 yrs. ago. THEY NEED TO SIGN EARL BOYKINS! It’s really a no brainer.