Celtics Draft Day Thoughts
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by user Bwell316
I first heard about the Ray Allen deal yesterday morning, and it included the number 5 pick and Theo Ratliff (or his contract, whichever you like to call it). The thought intrigued me at first, but I thought putting Ray Allen on a team with both Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak didn't make alot of sense. I always felt that this team needed a legit third scorer, and Wally obviously wasn't that guy , as he was quickly becoming the Carl Pavano of the NBA, and his legs were never healthy enough to make him a consistent shooter in Boston.
When I saw last night that the Celts got Allen and Glen Davis (I will not call him by that ridiculous nickname) for Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Jeff Green, my first thought was "How did the Celtics get screwed in this one?", which is my typical reaction to any trade Boston has made since acquiring BIll Walton in the mid 80's (seriously, they have been on the bad end of nearly every trade made since 1986. Joe Johnson for Rodney Rogers? Chauncey Billups for Kenny Anderson? Antoine Walker for Raef Lafrentz? The number 7 pick in last years draft, which turned out to be Brandon Roy, for Sebastian Telfair? The Vin Baker trade? The prosecution rests).
After a little bit of thought, and looking at Allen's contract, which is huge by the way, reading up on what scouts said about Davis, I finally felt comfortable with a deal the Celts made. This isn't one of those deals where I had to talk myself into liking it, or where I had to justify to myself why I wasn't lighting all of my Celtics merchandise on fire, it actually made sense. Bringing in an older vet who can score, who can actually shoot, who went to college at UConn, getting rid of Wally, trading away the 5th pick in a draft where the top two guys were gone in May, it all was ok. I was even slightly excited that I wouldn't have to see Delonte West's ridiculous neck tattoo on regular basis anymore.
The Celts now have a shooter who can help keep double teams off of Big Al, they still have Theo Ratliff's expiring contract, and they now have a pretty set lineup so that Doc Rivers can't consistently play his game of "lineup roulette" which always seems to consist of some combination of Pierce and Brian Scalabrine. I actually like this deal. They still have trade options left, and in the Eastern Conference they have as good a chance as anyone. I can now only hope that Doc Rivers leaves and I might even buy some tickets to the Garden this year...
