Random Thoughts as We Await Opening Night

 As the Celtics sit with 16 guaranteed contracts,  we would expect Danny to be making at least one more cut.  But, instead,  we learned yesterday that the Celtics added one more player. 

The Boston Celtics have claimed forward Jarell Eddie -- Hawks' recent release -- off NBA free agency waivers, league source tells RealGM.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2014

According to reports, Eddie was waived by the Atlanta Hawks as they were trying to pare their roster down to 15 and he received multiple waiver bids before the Celtics were awarded his rights. Eddie appeared in three games with the Hawks during the preseason averaging 2.7 points per game.

Eddie was a standout player at Virginia Tech before going undrafted in the June Draft. He played for the Washington Wizards in the Las Vegas Summer League. There, he averaged 11.5 minutes per game over the 6 games of the Summer League. In the last game, Eddie played a tournament-high 21 minutes, scoring 8 points with 4 rebounds and an assist on 3-7 shooting and he shot 2-6 from beyond the arc. Over the 6 games, Eddie averaged 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.3 steals and 0.2 assists, while shooting 32% from the field, 25% from beyond the arc and 60% from the line.

Eddie is a 6'7", 220 lb shooting guard/small forward out of Virginia Tech. He has a 6'9.5" wingspan and an 8'9" standing reach. As a senior at Virginia Tech, Eddie averaged 13.3 points, 1.2 assists, and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 35.5% from the field, 37.6% from beyond the arc and 78% from the line.

At first look, it's kind of confusing that the Celtics would add another player to an already overcrowded roster. The prevailing thought is that it may be for the Red Claws rather than the Celtics. According to the rules, the last 4 players cut by a team can be sent to their D-League franchise. The Celtics have already cut 4 players and Christian Watford and Tim Frazier have already indicated that they will play for the Red Claws. It's possible that either Erik Murphy or Rodney McGruder aren't planning to join the Red Claws and so the Celtics claimed Eddie for the privilege of making him the final cut in order to keep him around on the Red Claws. It's an interesting move, nonetheless.

It appears that Rondo will make his return for opening night. Knowing how tough this kid is, I really didn't doubt it. He played a half of a game with a torn ACL and was ready to play the next game before he got the diagnosis. Think of all the times you have seen NBA players writhing on the floor after tearing an ACL and then think of Rondo playing an entire half after tearing up his knee. And who could forget the game he played after dislocating his elbow in the series against the Heat in 2011? After popping the elbow back into place he returned in the 4th quarter to finish the game with 11 assists and basically one arm. Nope, I'm not surprised that he is more than likely going to beat the timetable set for his return.

Thinking back over the preseason, there was much to be excited about. I like our rookies. I love Jared Sullinger and believe he will be an All Star before his career is over. I like the cohesiveness of the team. And I love the way they play hard and never give up. I love the ball movement and the defense. But there are some concerns about the team as well. One is that in spite of the 5-3 record in the preseason, their competition was mostly the bottom of the barrel of the NBA other than the Raptors, who beat the Celtics twice.

Also, there are questions as to whether that great ball movement will stop once Rondo retakes the helm of the team. Over the past few years, Rondo has tended to over dribble and to dominate the ball way too much. Can he fit in with the move the ball offense? We shall soon find out, but it's a concern. I'm also still a little concerned about our center position. I haven't seen enough of Tyler Zeller to be sure he fills the Celtics' needs at center. I'm not quite as comfortable with Kelly Olynyk at center as the coach is. He needs a bit more bulk and experience in my opinion.

But, the preseason did give most Celtics fans hope for the future. But, the future probably isn't now. The Celtics are still in the rebuilding stage and we should be patient as this team will have it's ups and downs this season. But, win or lose, they are going to be a fun team to watch. Wednesday can't come soon enough!!

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