On Von Wafer And the C’s Off-Season

By Zach Lowe, CelticsHub.com @ July 30th, 8:58 am 38 comments »

Von Wafer is a gamble, which is fine, because you can afford to gamble at the end of the rotation. And he represents the sort of gamble the Celtics probably had to take in order to realistically contend for a championship next season. He’s young, he’s an athlete and he’s an offense-first scorer who can create points from all over the floor when nothing else is working. Signing Wafer and Nate Robinson—and quibbling over a third year for Tony Allen—shows that the Celtics understand their offense let them down last season.

But, man, is Wafer a gamble. » Read more: On Von Wafer And the C’s Off-Season

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Posted in Commentary

Get Ready to Welcome Wafer

By Brendan Jackson, CelticsHub.com @ July 29th, 7:53 pm 80 comments »

According Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com, the Celtics have signed Von Wafer to a one year contract worth the veteran mininum.  This signing most likely puts a stop to the Rudy Fernandez trade discussions.  Danny Ainge has been saying for weeks that the Celtics need a wing and a big man.  Now with Wafer on board, the Celtics have their wing and may decide that Wafer is enough.

Personally, I didn’t think Wafer was really coming to Boston so I didn’t bother writing any type of speculative analysis.  It’s hard to say how Wafer will fit in with this very veteran squad.  For those who don’t know, Wafer made headlines in 2009 by having a breakout season with the Houston Rockets.  When his contract expired at the end of the season, he decided to cash in for more money overseas.  It’s almost always a smart business move for an athlete to get the most money while he/she can given the prevalence of career ending injuries (see Darius Miles).  This strategy, however, backfired when he was waived by his Greek team a short five months later.

Wafer has had a few stints in the NBA since then (10 day contract with the Mavericks and almost resigned with the Rockets after coming back stateside in 2009 before failing a physical.  No word on whether this was a Luther Head-type physical) but has not made a significant impact in the NBA aside from that one season with the Rockets.

Now that I’ve got you pretty much up to speed on Wafer, it’s time to start talking about what he will bring the Boston Celtics:

  • Shooting: The kid can shoot-the-rock.  45% from the field and 39% from deep.  The only draw-back is that he averaged 8 field goal attempts a game during his breakout season.  Do you think he’s getting 8 FGA’s for the Celtics next year?
  • Defense: So far? Sub par.  In 2009, Wafer ranked below league average in defensive efficiency and steals. Compared to Tony Allen, his heir apparent his defensive numbers don’t even come close.

There is really no telling what Von Wafer will bring to the Celtics considering he hasn’t played consistent, organized basketball in a year.  What is known, or at least apparent after a quick perusal, is that his Twitter account may be a constant source of entertainment.

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Posted in Annoucements, Commentary

Et Tu, Eddie? House Signs With Heat

By Brian Robb, CelticsHub.com @ July 29th, 1:15 pm 25 comments »

Well, it looks like we are going to have a tough time rooting vehemently against everyone in Miami next year, upon the revelation Eddie House will be signing with The Heat, according to the twitter of Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal is reportedly 2 years for 2.8 million dollars total, but don’t let those numbers fool you, it’s strictly a 2 year deal at the veteran’s minimum.

A multi-year offer for the 32 year old sharpshooter was likely the best Eddie was going to do in this market, especially coming off of a poor shooting season last year.

The C’s reportedly had been in contact with House’s agent this offseason, but with the re-signing of Nate Robinson, there appeared to be have been no real spot for House in the C’s rotation next year anyway, as we noted here at CelticsHub earlier this week.

For the Heat, this is another solid veteran bench get, a guy with real playoff chops (59 games) and who as recently as 2008-09, shot 48 percent from downtown in 2 playoff series, helping keep a shorthanded C’s team competitive.

I’m not sure how much Eddie has left in the tank after things went sour last year, but he will certainly get plenty of open looks on that Heat squad from beyond the arc, let’s just hope he isn’t hitting them against the Green team. The guy is a class act though, so good for him getting the security of a 2 year deal at this point in his career.

There’s also some updating to be done on the Rudy Fernandez trade rumor front. » Read more: Et Tu, Eddie? House Signs With Heat

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Posted in Notebook

A Cool Thing About Possibly Trading for Rudy Fernandez

By Zach Lowe, CelticsHub.com @ July 29th, 8:49 am 24 comments »

As Tom Halzack reported over at CelticsBlog Wednesday, the C’s are in serious talks to acquire Rudy Fernandez from the Blazers. If this happens, we’ll have plenty of time analyze all the basketball issues Rudy presents—where he fits in the rotation, his strengths and weaknesses on both ends, whether he can play small forward even a little bit, etc.

Acquiring Fernandez without giving up a rotation player is a good basketball move. We can discuss that later.

There’s another comparatively minor reason I’m rooting for Boston to nab Rudy: It would be nice for the C’s to have an international player that might actually play some meaningful minutes. » Read more: A Cool Thing About Possibly Trading for Rudy Fernandez

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Posted in Notebook

Source: C’s in “Lead Position” in Rudy Fernandez Trade Talks

By Brian Robb, CelticsHub.com @ July 28th, 3:30 pm 97 comments »

The Oregonian had the initial report this morning that the C’s, as well as Bulls and Knicks were in the running in a deal for swingman Rudy Fernandez. Now we have an updated report from our friend Tom Halzack at CelticsBlog staying that the C’s are in “lead position” in negotiations:

Other teams interested including New York and Chicago, but the Celtics are apparently getting the first shot, thus allowing one to assume they are a preferred destination, either in terms of desirability for Rudy or trading pieces for the Blazers.

CH’s Take: First off, let me just say this is terrific news. Fernandez is far and away the best swingman readily available on the free agent/trade market. I would expect Danny Ainge to be very aggressive here, but make no mistake the C’s will likely have to give up something of value.

Given that Fernandez is under a team-friendly contract, signed for the next three years (including options), I doubt just one late 1st round pick would be enough to get it done. With Fernandez wanting out though, it might be the best Portland can get for him.

Obviously, there’s Sheed’s contract that could be thrown into the mix, but a quick glance of the Blazers roster shows no real dead weight the team might be looking to get rid of in a salary dump, so that option appears unlikely.

The C’s otherwise, have no real assets, besides draft picks they are likely willing to trade. So it’s likely to be a standoff of how many picks is Ainge willing to fork over to suit Portland?

The good news is New York has dealt pretty much all of their 1st round picks away, so they have little to offer, besides someone like Wilson Chandler. The Bulls are in play here as well, are said to have been dangling James Johnson, but Chicago may not be a preferred destination for Rudy, given their glut of newly signed swingmen (Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer).

So here’s my question to you C’s fans. Knowing how big of an upgrade this would be, how much would you be willing to give up? More than 1st round pick? What’s Fernandez worth to you?

97 comments »

Posted in Notebook, Offseason