Although it's not officially a done deal yet, all signs point to Kevin Garnett heading to the Celtics. Since a deal seems imminent, it's time for another edition of FanHouse Roundtable, where we discuss the impact of this major event on the rest of the league.
Bethlehem Shoals: Is anyone else seriously weirded out by the possibility of an Allen, Pierce, Garnett line-up? It's like seeing your old friends come back as face-eating zombies.
Tom Ziller: One of our commenters had a joke about how Ainge is just playing NBA Live '01 in the real world.
Shoals: Let's forget about Minnesota for a second, because unless you get an All-Star in this kind of deal, you're getting hosed. Watch me out on this limb: Boston could make the East Finals next year. And then dwindle quickly.
Miss Gossip: Naw, I predict Allen and Garnett both get injured in a tandem bicycle accident and have to sit out much of the season. Much ado 'bout nothin'.
Marcel Mutoni: If you've been watching the NBA since the mid-to-late '90s, and especially the Eastern Conference, I fail to see how the Celtics don't immediately become one of your favorite teams in the League right now.
Ray-Ray, KG, and Pierce together! Are you kidding me?
Shoals: Gossip, why not Garnett and Pierce?
Ziller: I tend to fall in Marcel's camp... except for the fact it's 2007. Is it even plausible two of the three guys will play 70+ games? Still (and this may be sacrilege), I'm more excited about this Big Three than the Milwaukee version. It may not be as mysterious, but it's impossible not to be thrilled with the circumstances, even given the collective age of the trio.
TheHype: I dunno, something about these "put 3-all-stars (or aging all stars) together" experiments never seem to work. Like Shoals said, that AI, Melo and Smith thing didn't take off ... Vince Carter, JKidd, Jefferson were never healthy enough to prove anything. The only 3 man squad close to compelling was the Arenas, Jamison and Butler combo... and well, even they couldn't battle for supremacy last season.
Matt Watson: They'll definitely make the playoffs, but shoe-ins for the Eastern Conference Finals? I don't know about that. They have a young point guard who can't shoot in Rajon Rondo and a starting center who's not used to playing more than 22 minutes a game in Kendrick Perkins. And, just off the top of my head, aren't KG and Perkins the only guys still on the roster taller than 6-9?
Shoals: You will drown in your own tears if Garnett, Pierce and Allen can't share the ball, or establish any semblance of an offensive rhythm. It will expose them for what we've always feared they are, and all those years of sadness and sympathy will be dashed on the shore like so many diseased bugs.
Mutoni: Yes, Shoals, but you can't tell me that you didn't tune in every single time Denver was playing...The Celtics, almost inexplicably, have just become must-watch-tv.
Mutoni: This pessimism is depressing. KG is out of Minnesota and is going to play with 2 other All-Stars. Rejoice you fools!
Ziller: Looking further forward than we probably should, is this team a legit top-4 seed in the East? Chicago was pretty damn good last year, and they finished #5. Detroit is still great, Chicago will improve, Toronto's better (by virtue of aging), Cleveland can still get a PG, Washington was doing pretty damn well before the injuries last year, Wade's going to be back by December... even one homecourt series isn't a given, right? And if they don't finish that high, Boston will already have turned on the theory and it will be UGLY.
Brett Edwards: I agree with Marcel that, like the Nuggets last year, the Celtics are now very fun to watch. But it doesn't guarantee them any type of post-season success. Their depth is extremely questionable, and these guys are *aging* superstars, all of which are (arguably) past their prime. 1997 Rockets, anyone?
Healthy versions of Detroit, Miami, Chicago, and Washington are going to be just as effective as Boston, but either way I'm glad the Celtics are going to be relevant again.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. How would this be like the 1997 Rockets. That trio was all in the mid-thirties--Drexler and Hakeem both 35 and Barkley 34. Meanwhile, Pierce will turn 30 just before the start of the next season, Garnett is 31 and Allen just recently turned 32. It doesn't take delusional optimism to project that they all may have three good years within them.
Posted at 4:00PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Steph
2. I don't think the comparisons to Melo-AI-Smith and Kidd-VC-RJ are legit. The former's in the West + Smith is (thus far) average at best, while the latter is hamstrung by a lack of size, Vince's constant shirking from contact, and Jefferson's immense overratedness. Pierce-Allen-KG is long in the tooth as a group, but they're also all truly elite players who all bring different things to the table. IF they can stay healthy I think they're the favorites in the East.
Posted at 4:01PM on Jul 30th 2007 by JoshLove
3. I think only injury can derail them. If KG can put up 22 and 13 on the West, what will he do in the East, where only Howard, Bosh and the ghosts of Shaq and Ben Wallace reside? If they commit to feeding him the ball, he could [and should] average 28/15. All Shuttlesworth and The Truth would have to do is stand on opposite wings and hit open 3 after open 3. Pencil in the Cs for 105+ppg.
[not a Cs fan btw]
Posted at 4:08PM on Jul 30th 2007 by SHOTT3R
4. If this trade goes down, it would almost be too absurd on Minnesota's end. They would essentially have traded away Garnett and Szcerzbiak in a three-team trade with Seattle and Boston in which Boston came away with both Ray Allen and Garnett and Minnesota took in 9 Celtics (Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff and Sebastian Telfair) from a team that's stunk the past two seasons plus two draft picks.
Posted at 4:28PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Steph
5. Steph, my comment about the '97 Rockets was meant to illustrate the fact that just because a team has three all-stars (who are past their prime) doesn't guarantee them anything in the post-season. That Rockets team went 57-25, and lost to the Jazz in the Conference Finals, so they did pretty well for themselves, but ultimately fell short of the Finals.
Posted at 4:28PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Brett
6. Brett, I wasn't arguing that the Celtics should be considered prohibitive favorites if they land Garnett. I was contesting more the statement that Garnett, Pierce and Allen are soon to be cooked. While I'm more doubtful about Allen, none of them are that old and ready to be veteran role players. They should all have enough in the tank to give the Celtics three seasons to care about deeply and that's nothing to scoff at. How long has Detroit's elite reign been for? Four years but it seems like an eternity.
Posted at 4:45PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Steph
7. Wow, when did the commenter intelligentsia get let into the FanHouse? First four comments could be added to the roundtable, throw in some draft picks and maybe you too could land Garnett (snap!).
This post and thread shows how far KG's star has fallen. It's definitely GARNETT, Pierce & Allen. And those caps mean a lot in the Eastern Conference. Or at least they used to ...
Who really gets screwed in this deal is the Knicks. Firstly, KG went for picks and role players. Granted, a couple have upside, but Knicks fans are forced to wonder if we had perhaps been a bit more discerning in our distribution of draft picks, expiring contracts and role players around the NBA, perhaps we could have been in on this. I'd take KG over Eddy Curry(nullus) + Randolph.
And when we're not dreaming about that, we're forced to deal with the reality of the rapidly growing Eastern Conference. We get a nice little big man to run amok in the Leastern, but only in the context of all the big dinosaurs migrating from the West. What's next Brand to the Nets? Amare to the Bullets? (I don't play w/ Wizards, I'm a real man!)
whatever. this is annoying. Let's Go Mets.
Posted at 5:43PM on Jul 30th 2007 by The Assimilated Negro
8. Holy crap, TAN is commenting on the commenters. My brain is about to explode.
Posted at 6:39PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Miss Gossip
9. As a Boston fan, I think this is a terrible trade.
First off, you're telling me that after I watch the Red Sox pennant race and the Patriots go for 4 titles in 7 years that I'll have to watch Pierce, Allen and KG every time they play? Goodbye girlfriend. Goodbye career. Hello sports bar tab & AA meetings.
Speaking of money, I don't think any of you realize just how hard this is going to be on us Beantown fans financially. I'm still in the hole for all the championship crap I bought from '01 to '04. Now you're talking about the possibility of 3 titles in the same year? I've got kids to feed! Looks like I'm going to need one of those sub-prime mortgages.
Man, this sucks.
Posted at 7:18PM on Jul 30th 2007 by TalkingNFL
10. Don't plot the parade route yet, TalkingNFL. If by some incredible luck the Celtics somehow manage make it out of the East with a young, so-so point guard and a barely functional center, they're still getting stomped by whoever wins the West. And then two years from now when Pierce and Allen are rapidly disintegrating they'll be as bad as ever.
Posted at 8:27PM on Jul 30th 2007 by Chad
11. I hate it when my favorite players disintegrate or spontaneously combust before my eyes. It's a real bummer.
In all seriousness, you're probably right, Chad. I don't think the Celtics will win the East with this trio, but I DO know that they just became relevant in Boston again. Mutoni hit it right on the head - these guys will be competitive and fun to watch again, and that makes me want to watch every game.
Now can you loan me a couple hundred for the Direct TV NBA League Pass? Come on, you know I'm good for it...
Posted at 9:25PM on Jul 30th 2007 by TalkingNFL
12. I think Danny Ainge should just ask himself, "What would Spider Pig do?"
Posted at 11:18PM on Jul 30th 2007 by nastykjn
13. @TheHype:
The big three at Washington kind of derailed when two of the three got injured at the end of the season... at the all star break Washington was leading the conference. They were a little bit more than compelling, and should an injury happen to any of the new big 3 similar things will happen due to lack of depth at key positions, mainly point guard.
Posted at 1:02AM on Jul 31st 2007 by Greek Mike
14. KG will never do much in Boston as he will just sit back and count all the cash and prepare for retirement. His best days in the past.
Posted at 9:18AM on Jul 31st 2007 by Felix the Cat
15. this trio wont be the ages that the 97 rockets were(which was 2 games away from the finals) until the end of their 4th season together......... pretty unreal next 4 years boston should have, wouldnt ya say? you got the dominant bigman mvp versatile 7 footer dominating inside, the elite slashing get to the line, inside/outside small forward, and the smoothest shooter in the league, elite perimeter 2guard that can also get to the hoop......... and all 3 are much more than that. they are great leaders, great allaround unselfish team players, fiercely loyal, play the right way, love the game, leave it all on the floor, high character no ego A+ all-nba superstar franchise players. all are highly efficient, extremely effective in their position, great passers, dominate in the flow of the team/game, all 3 took teams to 50+ wins & division titles & conference finals, and all 3 are in the same phase of their career and have been close but havent got the ring and are hungry as hell to get there. all 3 have accomplished everything else individually and with success, and now its time for that title...... plus on the court these 3 complement each other so beautifully and its a near perfect fit in every way on the court..... these 3 are gonna be amazing and boston celtics are gonna be a true SPECIAL TEAM for the next 4 or 5 years. theyre gonna dominate, powerhouse in the making. its amazing.
Posted at 8:16PM on Aug 30th 2007 by robert