Saturday Morning Notebook: No Trades “Close,” Players React, KG Doesn’t Like Discussing His Leg
Posted by Zach Lowe on Feb 13, 2010
• Nothing has changed on the trade front since last night. The Mavs and Wiz are still reportedly close to finalizing the Caron Butler/Brendan Haywood for Josh Howard/Drew Gooden deal, and that would either end the C’s talks with the Wizards or focus those talks on Jamison and (in my view) whatever else the C’s can squeeze from Washington.
But no deal is near, according to Danny Ainge (via Steve Bulpett in the Herald):
Ainge would very much like to get something done by next Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, but he said yesterday, “There’s nothing close right now.”
Bulpett also talked to two league GMs who say Ainge is more willing now, after the C’s recent struggles, to consider a larger deal rather than some tinkering on the margins:
“He wanted to do something that would shake things up a little, but I think now he’s looking at something bigger if it works for him,” one GM said.
This is a very, very tough spot for Danny Ainge.
Ray Allen’s expiring deal does not appear to be an appealing enough piece on its own to net an elite player free of some ultra-undesirable baggage. (For Jamison, that baggage would be $28 million in salary over the two seasons after this one). This leaves Ainge to either a) make a bad deal (not happening); b) bide his time to try and squeeze some extra asset out of a team such as Washington; c) try and rope in third or fourth teams and structure a deal that would bring in an asset the C’s couldn’t get on their own; d) stand pat or give up on trading Ray Allen.
I continue to think d) is the most likely option, but this is why they/we pay Danny the big bucks.
• The players, for their part, are saying all the right things about the NBA being a business. But one thing is clear: They stil believe they can win the title as is (via Mark Murphy and Steve Bulpett in the Herald):
“I think that even without a trade we can still win a championship,” Paul Pierce said yesterday.
And here’s Rajon on whether the team needs some new blood:
“I don’t think so,” Rondo said. “I think we just need to find it within ourselves. We have a great team right now. It ain’t like we’re getting blown out. We’re getting leads. We’re just not finishing the job.”
• Kevin Garnett also addressed the team’s struggles during a media session in Dallas on Friday (via Frank Dell’Apa in the Globe):
“We have a sense of urgency,’’ Garnett said of the Celtics. “We know we have to be more consistent in who we are – a defensive team first, that can score the basketball. With the emergence of our young guys and everybody getting better, there is a type of adjusting there, but none of that should never knock us off our rhythm. We have had some injuries and things of that such and that plays with chemistry, but no excuses made, none given.”
KG has an interesting habit: He can be unusually open and introspective with the media, but when he is, he sometimes starts to ramble a bit and strings a bunch of interesting thoughts together. The nature of a press conference means some of those thoughts are left dangling. Wouldn’t you love to ask him what he means by the “adjusting” that comes because of “the emergence of our young guys and everybody getting better”? This is the kind of weird quote that lends credence to rumors about a rift between the young guys and the vets, rumors I personally think are bogus.
The rest of the stuff—being consistent, playing 48 minutes, etc.—we’ve heard every day for the past three weeks.
• KG also talked briefly about his health, though he didn’t really talk much about his health. Here are some various quotes from different media outlets:
From the Globe (linked above):
“My health, it’s great, I’m happy to be here,’’ Garnett said. “I’m playing in the game. I’m not sitting up here and making this weekend about my leg and my health.”
Wait–you’re health is “great” or it’s “great” to be in Dallas?
And:
“I’m good,’’ Garnett said. “When you get new things, new revelations come into your life, it makes you stronger…I’m a lot more patient when it comes to attacking. Film session, I’m a lot more detailed on footwork and small things, pick settings, range where I’m setting picks, small things I never paid attention to. So, though I probably lost something in one area, or depleted, I picked it up in other ways.”
Like I said—he’s a very reflective guy. He can also be blunt: “I probably can’t jump as high but when it comes to defense I’m smarter.”
• Now, here’s the Herald’s version of that same discussion:
“I’m good, man,” he said. “New things and revelations that come to you make you stronger. With my injury I’ve acquired some patience and understanding in my body. But it’s still driving ahead 100 percent.
“It’s challenging, but it’s a good thing.”
• And here’s ESPNBoston.com relaying KG’s discussion of his health:
“I’m speaking one time about my health: I’m great and I’m happy to be here, playing in this game,” said Garnett. “Nothing more, noting less than that. My leg, my health — whatever — I’m here to enjoy the break.”
And:
“I’ll speak one time about my health,” he said to another question. “It’s great. I’m happy to be here in the game, and other than that I’m not going to make this weekend about my leg.”
I’m not exactly reassured by any of this. Let’s just move on.
• Dennis Johnson is a finalist for the Hall of Fame, and once again he’s up “against” some no-brainer locks in Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen. Look, DJ is a Hall of Famer. The 24 members of the HOF’s Honors Committee need to get this right. (You need 18 of 24 votes to get in).
• Let’s clarify the Rajon Rondo/Team USA situation: Rondo did NOT decline an invitation to be among the 27 players on the roster for the 2010-2012 version/s of the team, according to the Globe. He claims he was never asked, perhaps because he (and Perk) turned down the invitation to play for the team in 2009 due to conflicts with Perk’s wedding.
“There may have been a little miscommunication on that one,” said Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball. “But he’s a young player and there will be an opportunity in the future and we have a fluid roster to begin with. I’ve made that pretty clear. So we will revisit that. The door’s not closed.’’
It’d be cool to see Rajon play a key role in the 2010 world championships (which are a HUGE deal around the globe) and the 2012 Olympics, but he has a ton of competition for minutes at the point guard spot. He’d be an interesting choice, though, since the USA Basketball has stressed loading the team with shooters after the 6th place disaster in the ’02 worlds. Rondo obviously doesn’t meet that criteria, but he’s a very unusual player who creates his own sort of havoc.
That’s it for now. We’ll check in with more if any of the trade talks develop. Enjoy All-Star Saturday.
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