July 8, 2006

Bassy had a solid outing in his first game for the Celtics. I think he will fit in with our system much better than he did in Portland. Their loss is our gain.

Near the end of last season a big stink was made in Portland when point guard Sebastian Telfair gave an honest answer to a leading question. The question? "Can this team go into next fall with all three point guards deserving of playing time?" The other two are Steve Blake and Jarrett Jack. Telfair gave a candid answer, the only he he could honestly give: he said no. Just a few short months later, Telfair was shocked by the news he, Portland's 2004 lottery pick, was going to be the one moving - all the way across the country to Boston. Him? Not the guy they picked up on a minimum contract from the Washington Wizards in free agency? Not the guy who was just coming off a solid - but not spectacular - rookie season? [More] source:Hoopsworld Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July , 2006
The first Summer League game is in the books. Gomes looks like he may just win the starting PF job from Big Al if he keeps up playing like he did in the first game. Telfair and Rondo look like they are going to do fine running the team. Good to get the win in our first game.

Ryan Gomes played like a veteran and dominated the play for the Celtics in their first Summer League game against the Dallas Mavericks. Gomes had 29 points and 9 rebounds. Telfair added 17 points, 6 assists and was impressive with his ball handling and ball movement. Gerald still looks a bit inexperienced on the court but was active on the glass and added 12 points along with 7 rebounds. After a slow start in the first half, Big Al did much better in the second half chipping in 10 points along with 8 rebounds and 3 assists but also tallied 7 fouls. Rajon Rondo showed his deadly defense by stripping several balls and deflecting passes on his way to 8 points, 4 assists and 4 steals. Allan Ray tallied 10 points and showed an outside shooting touch. Powe looked tentative in his limited court time. Dwayne Jones had 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in just 9 minutes of play. [More] source: Draft Express Related Sites: Box Score Game Recap Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July 8, 2006
My guess is that this is damage control by Danny to offset the comments Pierce made that didn't sound so certain that he would be back. If Danny wants to attract that big name veteran to Boston, he will need to have Pierce here to do it.

The Celtics are apparently on the proper path to an agreement on a contract extension with Paul Pierce. Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge cautioned that nothing is yet complete, but he has been working with Pierce and the player’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, on a pact that would keep the captain a Celtic through the 2011-12 season. “I think we’re going to get something resolved,” Ainge said yesterday. “I’ve been talking to Paul and Jeff since July 1. There are still some things to talk about, but I’m confident that we’ll get a deal done.” [More] source:Herald Wikipedia on Pierce Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July 7, 2006
It sounds like Pierce is having second thoughts about staying in Boston his entire career. But then again it could be just trying to get a better contract out of Danny. If Pierce doesn't sign the extension, look for Danny to trade him as soon as he can get a package he likes in return. He still sounds like he likes our potential and our kids but it is possible that Walker's ring has made him want one for himself sooner rather than later.
The plan at the end of the year was for him to get the surgery right after the season so that he would be ready for the USA tryouts. But it is probably better for the Celtics that he won't be playing for the USA team. I imagine the invite was enough to make Pierce feel vindicated from the last experience. But the Olympics are a ways off and by then a lot of things can change.
The rest of the offseason is going to be very interesting for Celtics'fans...Will Pierce sign an extension? Will Danny pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade for an All Star? Who will he try to get: KG? Iverson? O'Neal? Marion? someone not even in the news? How will our Summer League Team do? Will Danny sign any of the Bigs from the Summer League Team? Will Gerald learn from coming into summer league in average shape? Stay tuned....

With friends and former teammates Antoine Walker, Ricky Davis, and Mike James in town, minor surgery on his left elbow planned for August (that will keep him from Team USA tryouts), and talk of Allen Iverson joining the Celtics, Pierce reflected on his career and wondered about his legacy. He wants to be mentioned among the greatest NBA players, like his childhood idol, Magic Johnson, who previously hosted a charity weekend benefiting several LA-based and national foundations. But Pierce knows that kind of legacy rarely comes without a championship, something he might have to chase somewhere besides Boston. ``I think about [my legacy] all the time, probably more this year than other years," said Pierce. ``I realize I'm going into my ninth year and I've probably only got five or six years left to play. If I can just get that opportunity, to be on a team where I have a chance to compete for a championship, that's all I can ask for. I guess the teams that I've been on pretty much my whole career we've been fighting just to get in the playoffs. I want the opportunity to go deep into the playoffs just to show people what I can do." [More] source: Globe Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July 6, 2006
I am sure this is a contract similar to what Bynum signed last year. It may or may not mean that he will be on the regular season roster. I haven't heard where we have signed Powe yet but expect us to sign him also since we gave up a second rounder to get him. I am starting to get worried in that we are going to be the shortest team in the league. We need to get another big man as we are still weak in the middle and have an abundance of short wings and PGs.

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has signed free agent guard Allan Ray. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ray, a 6’2” guard, had a stellar four year career at Villanova University where he scored 2,025 points to become the sixth all-time leading scorer in Wildcat history. He averaged 15.4 points in 129 career games, grabbed 419 career rebounds, handed out 244 career assists, registered 138 career steals and made 312 career three-pointers – for an average of 36.7%. [More] source: Celtics.com

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July 6, 2006
Reports from the Celtics practice facility have been that Telfair and Jefferson have already forged a bond and are working the pick and roll quite well. With Big Al having great hands and Bassy able to send bullet passes to the open man, things could be very exciting for Celtics fans this season. Is anyone else excited about the prospect of Al, Perk, Pierce, Gomes, Green, Tony and West playing with a fast breaking PG who can run the pick and roll?

Telfair, according to Jefferson, may be that important an addition. Both came out of high school to join the NBA draft in 2004, and the two are already old friends. “I’ve been playing with and against Sebastian since high school, and I have nothing but good things to say about him,” said Jefferson, who combined with his new teammate for several nice sequences during yesterday’s scrimmage. At one point, after setting a pick on the right elbow for Telfair, Jefferson cut down the lane. Telfair fired a bullet pass past three defenders and hit the palm of Jefferson’s right hand for an easy layup the moment he reached the basket. Jefferson is excited by the promise in this new collaboration. He only hopes that when Ainge’s work is finally completed, he’s allowed to keep working with Telfair. “I love what we’re doing out there,” Jefferson said. “When you work a pick-and-roll with (Telfair), great things happen. You look to get those great passes all of the time.” [More] source: Herald Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July 6, 2006
This isn't a big surprise. Each of these players could figure big in our team over the next two years. Hopefully Danny isn't signing them just to trade them away.

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics announced today they have exercised the team options on the contracts of forward Al Jefferson and guards Delonte West, Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair. The four players are now signed with the team through the 2007-08 season. [More] source: Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July 5, 2006
Big Al is going to have a break out year this year. He is losing weight, getting in shape and best of all, working with Clifford Ray and learning to play better in the post. I agree with Al... Danny is taking a big chance if he trades any of our young guys.

Al Jefferson tightens up his sneakers during a break in the action at Summer League mini-camp on Wednesday. After battling ankle injuries, Big Al is now preaching the benefits of getting taped to his Summer League teammates. (Peter Stringer/Celtics) WALTHAM - Big Al isn't quite as big these days. While peeling off the tape from his ankles after Wednesday's Summer League mini-camp practice, Jefferson reported that he's dropped about 14 pounds since last season. "I'm on a strict diet, I've changed my eating habits, been working out, court stuff, all of that. I want to lose about 10 more so I can be a little undersized coming into training camp so I can run better," said Jefferson. "I want to come in lighter this year and in better shape. I'm still not in the shape I want to be in because there's a lot of things I can't do with this ankle. But I'm going to step it up a whole 'nother level when I get back from Summer League and by October I'll be ready. But I've got a long way to go." [More] source:Celtics.com Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July 5, 2006
Danny sounds like he isn't as driven to go after an All Star as he was a couple of weeks ago. Maybe Bulls signing Ben Wallace has made him more willing to wait a year or two to be dominant, or maybe the talks for Iverson are dead. Or maybe he just saw these guys practicing and realized that he doesn't want to give up the future to win a couple more now. Whatever the reason I like the fact that he doesn't feel the need to do anything else. I want to see what this team can do with Telfair and Rondo being able to run the fast break and feed Pierce and Wally and Perk and Al in the post. We never had our team at full strength last year... never got to see what this group could do because there were so many injuries. I like what we have and want to see them play.

‘‘I can be satisfied (with this team),’’ he said. ‘‘I think we have a lot of depth, but we are young. There are things I’d like to do with some experience - quality experience. I don’t feel the need to have to do something.’’ Ainge admits the recurring youth theme ‘‘is a little bit of a problem. It’s almost like we have too many. The good news is that the players are people we like and want. I don’t think we have to get something by October, but I’ll be trying.’’ [More] source:Patriot Ledger Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July , 2006
The Celtics have announced their official Summer League Roster. They have also announced that 3 of their games will be televised on NBA TV. I can't wait to see this group play.

Newest Celtics Sebastian Telfair, 2006 first round pick Rajon Rondo and 2006 second round selection Leon Powe will join Celtics veterans Al Jefferson, Dwayne Jones, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green as they compete in the 2006 Toshiba Vegas Summer League. Free agents Allan Ray (Villanova), Akin Akingbala (Clemson), Wes Wilkinson (Nebraska), Kevin Hamilton (Holy Cross) and Ndudi Ebi complete the 2006 Celtics summer league team. [More] source:Celtics.com Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July 4, 2006
You have to love the attitude of these kids. West welcomes competition and is just happy that we are improving our team. And they are all such hard workers. Perk says there is no maybe he will be ready for training camp and I believe him. His work ethic is second to none. What a GREAT group of young players on this team.

WALTHAM – Delonte West isn’t living under a rock. He saw that the Celtics picked up two new point guards on draft day. Some guys would be annoyed. Others would be upset. West seems excited about it. "You have to have competition in the organization in order for the team to grow. We're heading in the right direction," said West, who watched the Celtics summer league mini-camp from a stationary bike in the corner of the gym at The Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint Tuesday afternoon. [More] source: Celtics.com Related Articles: None

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July 4, 2006
I think Powe is going to surprise a lot of people. He has the skills and the work ethic to do so...I just hope he stays healthy.

Was the interest in Iverson a smoke screen? It is so unlike Danny to tip his hat before a trade but there he was talking about going after Iverson. Is there another All Star that Danny is pursuing and he was using the Iverson talks as a smoke screen? Is this a smoke screen? Is Danny still going after Iverson and just trying to get the upper hand by faking disinterest? Did they see our SL team practice and see something there? Have one or more of the kids improved so much that Danny doesn't want to take the chance of trading them before we know what they really are capable of? Did the trade of Ben Wallace to the Bulls tip the balance of power to a point where Danny is abandoning the win now approach that getting Iverson would trigger in favor of his original plan of growing our prospects into all stars here in Boston? So many questions.... stay tuned for the answers as this very busy off season unfolds.

Though the Celtics still are looking into trade scenarios for a veteran - with a potential deal for Iverson still on the front burner - enthusiasm for such a deal appeared to cool yesterday. “I’m not sure, looking at what we have right now, that this is something we want to do,” one team official said. [More] source: Herald Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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July 3, 2006

Telfair and Powe Meet the Press: Sebastian Telfair and Leon Powe were introduced in Waltham on Monday afternoon before the first day of practice for Summer League. The Celtics summer squad will play five games in Las Vegas starting Saturday afternoon against Dallas.[More] source:Celtics.com Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

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