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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
Say It Ain't So...
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
by FLCeltsFan 10:12 AM
The rumor that is all over the web right now is that Danny offered Perk and Walker for the 2nd pick. It originated with Felger and Tanguay on Sports tonight with this exchange:
" Felger speaking: We heard a rumble today, just a little rumble. Danny’s throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall as he likes to do. Memphis sitting there at number two. Perk and was it JR Giddens?" Then Tanguay corrected him saying it was Walker instead of Giddens. Everyone who knows me knows how I feel about Perk. I love this guy. I love his work ethic, his earnestness, his willingness to play his role to a T and to be an enforcer. He is also one of the biggest bargains out there. He is also only 24 and has improved every season he has been in the league. He began as a project and is now one of the best defensive centers in the league as evidenced by how well he handled Dwight Howard in the playoffs this year.
If this was indeed the offer, Danny is more than likely targeting Hasheem Thabeet. Here are Thabeet's weaknesses according to NBADraft.net.
Post game needs refining. Thabeet has not learned to keep the ball high. He puts the ball on the floor way too often instead of going straight up without dribbling. This leads to turnovers and more difficult shots … Though he uses both hands fairly well, Thabeet lacks back-to-the-basket moves and his hands are suspect. Offensively, he relies mostly on alley-oops and offensive rebounds to collect his points … Needs to develop a go-to post-move, whether it be a strong drop-step or jump-hook … Has good body strength, but toughness seems to be a questionmark. Gets pushed around by stronger players and spends more time on the ground than almost any player in college basketball … Looked absolutely helpless against Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair, one of the few players he faced with an NBA-type body … Could beef up about 10 pounds more, but needs to maintain his lateral quickness and athleticism … Needs to work on defending the pick and roll. Gets tangled and confused to easily ... Still raw offensively, sometimes struggles to catch the ball … Needs to be able to pass the ball out of the double-team a little better. Reading over that, it could have been the list written about Perk, other than the toughness part, because Perk was tough coming into the league. And, with all those weaknesses, Perk averaged a grand 3 minutes per game his first season. But every one of those weaknesses have been addressed and Perk has overcome them. He now has an offensive game around the basket and even started hitting some of his jumpers last season. He no longer brings the ball down every time and he is a great passer.
Thabeet's toughness is questioned? Perk is one of the toughest centers in the league and no one pushes him around, not even Shaq. Does Danny really want to replace an established center who he was able to sign at a bargain price and who proved this season that even without KG, he can anchor the defense quite well. I keep going back to game 5 of last year's finals. In games 1-4 and 6, the Celtics dominated inside and Gasol and Odom weren't able to get anything inside. In game 5, with Perk out, Odom and Gasol were able to get anything they wanted. Perk is that effective inside and that important to this team.
And this isn't even mentioning how good I think Walker can be given playing time. He would be the Posey type backup to Pierce. A fierce defender capable of getting under the opponent's skin and also capable of getting to the hoop or hitting the jumper. I just don't see the value of giving up a player we have put 5 years into to get him to the point where he is a vital part of the team and one of the best at his position in the East in order to start all over again with another project.
One of the reasons the Celtics are so tough to beat is because other teams can't match their toughness inside, specifically Perk. Without Perk we go back to being just another soft team in the paint. I've been reading lots of rumors about Cleveland going after Shaq. They want the big man to match up better with Perk (and Howard). But, with a rookie, whose toughness is questioned, in the middle, the Cavs won't have to worry about Boston any more.
[Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
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