Big Baby Banter

Posted by Brendan Jackson on Aug 4, 2009 29517 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2009%2F08%2F04%2Fbig-baby-banter%2FBig+Baby+Banter2009-08-04+14%3A29%3A12Brendan+Jacksonhttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D2951

Apparently, in order to get a restricted free agent to come back to your team for cheaper than he’s worth, sign a player of similar size who’s markedly worse.  So any logic heads out there, isn’t this a disjunctive syllogism or something?

Last night, Jeff Goodman of WEEI updated us all about the Glen Davis situation.  The new news worth knowing is that, contrary to previous reports, instead of the Celtics matching anywhere in the neighborhood of the 5-6 million, the matching guarantee has sunk to a 1 year deal at 3.5 million or a multi-year deal at 2 million per.

I’m just not sure what has NBA teams hesitating on spending reasonable money for a guy like Davis.  Goodman makes the case that teams are worried about Baby’s weight and ability to play above the rim- which seem like ridiculous GM negotiating techniques.  I can understand the weight issue being a concern, especially given the laundry list of past players that didn’t play up to their potential (Sean May, Robert Traylor, Stanley Roberts, Shawn Kemp…) but at the end of the day, numbers don’t lie, and Baby’s were nice.

Goodman also cites that if Baby were to come back to the Celtics, he wouldn’t be maximizing his opportunity to play or make money.   The money I understand, considering a person’s understanding of worth might not be universally agreed upon by GMs and players (Marbury anyone?).   The opportunity though?  As I see it right now, if Baby were to be re-signed, he would be the back up power forward.  I can’t see many instances where ‘Sheed and Perk would be on the floor together.  I also can’t see the Celtics signing Shelden Williams so I guess the opportunity argument’s a moot point.

The real point is, despite what some may percieve as a logjam at the “big man” position if Baby were to re-sign (Perkins, Garnett, Wallace, Davis, Williams, Scalabrine), two of those players will hardly play for the Celtics.  One being Brian Scalabrine, who might be shipped out in the Marquis Daniels deal and the other being Shelden Williams, who was clearly brought in so the Garden camera men have a go-to-gorgeous girl/ celebrity in Candace Parker to put up on the JumboTron during timeouts (Greek and Dave, I’m looking at you guys).

The way I see it, four big men is the ideal- two starters, two backups.  I don’t foresee a lack of opportunity for Davis with the Celtics except for maybe a starters job, which I don’t think he’s guarunteed on any other team that’s interested (for those playing at home, supposedly: Nets, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Pistons).

If the Celts could sign Davis to a multi-year deal worth two million per, it would be a coup.  Here’s hoping for the “coup d’état” rather than the “coup du jour.”