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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
The Point Guard Situation
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
by FLCeltsFan 8:46 PM
Along with a center, the consensus is that the Celtics could use a veteran point guard. Most will agree that Rondo is the point guard of the future for this team but he is just 21 years old and entering his second season. Trading Delonte West left a hole at the point guard position.
Is Telfair going to stay with the team? And, if he does, is he going to be able to help the team? Wyc's reaction to the gun incident hurt his trade value. Ever since, Danny has been trying to mend his reputation and has been saying that there is a real possibility that Telfair will be back this season. He has been working on his conditioning and his game and only time will tell if he will be able to help a team this season. Even if Telfair stays with the Celtics, we could use a veteran PG. For one thing, Doc has made mention of going with a half court game this season and Rondo is best in the running game (as is Telfair) and both would have to learn the half court game. There are a few PGs who have been rumored to be on the Celtics radar and some have already been signed by other teams.
Here is a look at who is still out there that the Celtics may be interested in. First, during the Summer League, Mike Gorman said that Danny really liked Keyon Dooling and was trying to work a trade for him. Dooling has one year to go on his contract at 3.596 million. He is a 6'3" point guard who has been in the league for 7 years. Last season he averaged 7.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Dooling isn't a great playmaker and often a poor decision maker but reports are that he is a good teammate and locker room guy.
Brevin Knight has been the target of a lot of trade rumors. He has been in the league for 10 years and even though he is only 5'10 has been surprisingly effective. Last season for the Bobcats, he averaged 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals. He makes good decisions and is a good defender. But, the Herald mentioned that he is known as a problem in the locker room and that would explain why he has been on 7 different teams over his career. If this is true, I wouldn't expect him in Boston.
Minnesota is buying out Troy Hudson and there have been rumors of possibly going after him. Hudson is a 6'1" combo guard who is a better scorer than playmaker and has had quite a few injury problems. He averaged 5.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists this past season.
Earl Boykins is a free agent and although I haven't heard much about him, he is a possibility. He is listed at 5'5" and is the shortest player in the league. He averaged 14.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game this past season. He has great ball handling skills but isn't very good defensively.
 
Seattle has made it known that Ridnour and Watson are available. Ridnour is a 6'1" PG who has 3 years left on his contract and will make 6.5 million next season. He averaged 11 points, 2.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists last season. He has an excellent shooting stroke and is a great passer. He excels in the transition game and has a very good attitude. He has been in the league 4 years. Watson is a very quick 6'1" PG who is a good defender and has a decent mid range shot. His playmaking skills could use some work. He is going into his 7th season in the league.
Another possibility is Sarunas Jasikevicius from Golden State. Rumors were swirling around him before he came to the NBA stating that he wanted to come to the Celtics. He is 6'4" who is going into his 3rd season in the league but has international experience as well. He averaged 6.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists in 15 minutes of play for Golden State last season but wasn't used in the playoffs much at all. He has one year left on his contract with 4 million coming to him this season. He is a good shooter and a good playmaker and is good in the clutch. He needs improvement defensively, however.
Portland has put Jarret Jack on the block. Jack is 6'3" and is going into his 3rd season. He averaged 12 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists last season. Jack has 3 years left on his contract and will make 1.2 million this next season. He is a pure point guard and can find the open man but tends to be turnover prone.
The Suns are trying to get rid of Marcus Banks, but there is no way Boston brings him back so that one isn't even worth discussing. Eric Snow has been rumored to be available also. Snow will be entering his 13th season and averaged 4.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists last season. Snow has 2 years left on his contract and will make 6.7 million this next season.
Smush Parker is an unrestricted free agent and is going into his 5th season. He averaged 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season for the Lakers.
Parker is 6'4" tall and is a good shooter and ball handler. He can also play the 2 guard but is turnover prone and needs to work on his playmaking skills.
Lately there have been rumors of Mike Bibby to the Celtics. Bibby has 2 years left on his contract and will make 13.5 million dollars next season. He has been in the league 9 years and averaged 17.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season. Bibby has good knowledge of the game and is an excellent ball handler with one of the best cross overs in the league. He is a good shooter, a clutch player and an adequate defender. He would be good for the Celtics if they can work a deal to get him.
There may be others out there but these are the players that the rumors have been swirling around lately. There is also Gabe Pruitt in the mix as a combo guard, filling the role that Delonte has had. Along with Allan Ray who had a disappointing summer league. The last spot on the roster could come down to Pruitt or Ray with Pruitt having the edge right now. It is hard to tell what Danny will do. He has said he isn't done with the team yet and I expect another deal to go down before too long. Let's just hope it is a good one.
[Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
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