The Olympics are over. Now we face a month and a half until we get to watch basketball again. Most of the moves have been made and so there won't be any excitement of big signings. The players who have just been signed (which is the majority of the Celtics) can't be traded yet and so we won't see any blockbuster trades. I kind of like most of the signings anyway and want to see how things play out with this group before trying to move them. But, we are facing at least a month with no basketball and virtually no basketball news other than minor signings here and there. Going to be rough for us basketball junkies.

Doc was quoted as saying that he'd love to have Carlos Delfino but didn't think it was possible. SI is reporting today that he will be signing a one year contract with the Rockets. So, that option is out of the picture. In spite of Delfino being a very good player, I think we are covered on the wings. If we lust after any player it should be another big. At least that's what I'm thinking.

Speaking of bigs, former Nugget Chris Andersen is in the news. His agent is drumming up some interest by tweeting that his client has several offers and that he has a favorite team to sign with but isn't saying what team that is. Andersen is a good player and would be a bargain at the minimum if said favorite team could land him for that. He has said he would be open to taking the vet minimum if the right team offered.



He's a decent rebounder and plays well around the basket. Danny did bring him in for a couple of workouts before he signed with Denver and he said at the time he liked the Celtics. One thing to consider is that Andersen is still under investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children division of the authorities. He wasn't arrested but his computers were seized. His attorney explained that he was not a suspect, but a victim in an extortion attempt. All of this has yet to be settled and dismissed and so teams might be a little hesitant to make a commitment without knowing the full story and having this investigation cleared up.

I was listening to ESPN radio this morning and they made a statement that should strike fear into the hearts of Orlando Magic fans. They announced Big Baby Davis as the face and leader of the team. With Dwight gone now, I guess he is. He said his main concern is to come into camp in shape and everything else will follow from there. I think Big Baby came into camp in great shape one season with the Celtics and that was the season he missed the beginning because he punched his friend and injured his hand. He's been in good shape, but I wouldn't say great. Maybe, like Gerald Green, he's finally matured to the point he can put his career first and will do his part.

I've been thinking that maybe it wasn't a coincidence that the Mavs won the title the year Jason Terry came into camp with a tattoo of the Larry O'Brien trophy. One of the keys to being successful is confidence. And by getting the tattoo, Terry showed confidence in his team. In return, the team gained confidence and they won the title. Now it's the Celtics turn to use Terry's tattoo as a confidence builder on the way to the title.

Former Celtic Brian Scalabrine is in the news. He says he's not ready to retire and blasts anyone who feels the need to mock him. I always thought that Scal would come back to Boston as a coach when he retired. We don't need him as a player at this point. But as a coach, I think he would be valuable. He may not have had the best physical gifts but he understands the fundamentals of the game. He has a mind for x's and o's and it is his understanding of the game and it's fundamentals that will make him a very good coach.

I've seen a few threads on different message boards debating the possibility of the Heat vs the Lakers in the finals.  Both teams have made moves to get better, Lakers moreso than the Heat.  But, there is a good possibility that both teams could make it to the finals.  As Celtics fans, we hate both teams.  The Lakers hatred for some of us goes way back to the sixties and it runs very deep.  The hatred for the Heat is more recent with the heated battles and recent defeats at their hands.   If it came down to a Heat-Lakers matchup,  I'd have to hope the Heat win, as distasteful as that might be.  The Celtics have 17 championships while the Lakers have 16, although 5 of those belong to the Minneapolis Lakers.  Even though the name wasn't changed,  that was a different franchise.  So, in my opinion, the Los Angeles Lakers have just 11 championships.  But, the point is, the LA fans claim those other 5 and believe they have 16.  One thing that would make me cheer for the Heat is to keep LA fans from being able to say they have as many championships as the Celtics.  In the end, however, I expect it to be the Celtics vs the Thunder so this is a moot point anyway. 

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