Kendrick Perkins was not the heart and soul of the Celtics. For a while there, he was the Achilles heel. His offensive game took forever to develop. He was (and remains) a terrible foul shooter. Even his defense left something to be desired. And it’s hard to overlook the fact that he was a sourpuss. Perk has never committed a foul if you ask him. For me, Perk was famous for having his profanities picked up by broadcast shotgun microphones. If I had a dollar for every time I heard him yell the F-word followed by the N-word, well, I’d be able to re-sign him this offseason. Something the Celtics won’t be able to do.
I had no idea that the trade had happened until about 45 minutes after the deadline. A coworker sent me the story while I was on the telephone with a reporter. I stopped listening to the receiver on my phone for a few seconds, trying to process what I was reading. Perk and Nate traded? For former Celtic legend Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic????!!!! What am I missing???? I couldn’t wait to get off the phone to find out it was just a rumor and never happened. Oops.
The personal backstory for me has to start with the fact that I didn’t love Perk’s game until last season. And as for Nate, well, lets just say I may have let out at least one (well, only one) Perk-like expletive when the C’s acquired him last year. But truth be told, I grew to love Nate. I liked what he brought to the table in Boston. I saw development in his game from UW to the Knicks to the C’s. The Nate who I watched in college had developed into more than just a basketball playing freak of nature. Gone were the constant dumb passes and gone was the total defensive apathy. Nate gave a darn. And I loved that, really.
I’m going to stop setting up the story here and just get to the meat. I think this is an awful deal for Boston and for once, I know I’m not alone. I hear the argument that the 4th quarter lineup is the same now. Really? What if Jeff Green, a streaky shooter since his time at Georgetown, is on fire? Does he get benched? Or do the C’s go small? What position does Green play in Boston? Does he come off the bench? Because if he’s coming off the bench, Doc is doing something wrong. Jeff Green is an NBA starter. Don’t get me wrong, the Celtics got the best player in this deal. But this deal isn’t about who’s best. Jeff Green doesn’t fit the system here. In Oklahoma City, they’re the Western Conference favorite to me. Perk and Nate give them exactly what they needed. A tough, mean, physical force down low and a scoring guard off the bench who can spot Westbrook or move him to the 2. The move gives OKC positive flexibility. Boston has flexibility too. But not the good kind.
I hear the argument that Glen Davis can play center. I think it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. If you truly expect Glen Davis to start at center in the playoffs and go up against Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, or heck, Roy Hibbert (likely first round opponent and a much improved team with the OJ Mayo acquisition) in a 7 game series and come out on top, you’re wrong. And I’m not about to go to Vegas and bet on KG’s knees. No thank you. Garnett might be healthier this year than last, but he’s also a year older. And with age comes wiseness. But with age also continues the breakdown of the human body. Same story for the Fragile O’Neal Brothers. If they’re healthy, different story.
The elephant in the room for me is the Chicago Bulls. Last night was the first time the Bulls had Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah healthy and in the lineup. And yes, they lost to the lowly Raptors. I’m not at all concerned. This team will gel. They’re the best coached team in the East. They play defense. They’re big. And they’re led by, to this point in the season, the NBA’s MVP in Derrick Rose. In a seven game series, I’m concerned about KG/Big Baby vs. Carlos Boozer/Noah. Noah is a rebounding machine. Glen Davis, er, not so much. What happened to the Celtics last year against LA was the Lakers used their size to exploit Boston’s biggest weakness: a lack of rebounding. Today, the Celtics decided to exploit their own weakness.
Look, maybe this move works out for Boston. Maybe Shaq gets healthy and contributes. Maybe KG’s knees hold up for one more run. Maybe I’m underselling Glen Davis’ big-man ability while overselling the Chicago Bulls. Maybe.
I guess I’m just mad. I watched New York get better this week. Chicago got better. Atlanta got better(ish). Miami stayed very good. Orlando made their big deal already. Boston hasn’t made themselves better. Will they with an acquisition of Troy Murphy? Certainly. He fills a huge void. Until then though, I look at a team that was a threat and I see the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, and Orlando Magic feeling a little bit better about their chances this year. This was the end of the line for the Celtics. I knew it. You knew it. There’s no next year. Next year is a long way away. There are no young pieces in Beantown (especially not with the trading away of Semih Erden today) other than the very inconsistent Avery Bradley and Rondo. A nucleus that does not make. Today should have been about adding a veteran to fill the James Posey role without hurting the nucleus. Instead, the nucleus is gone. And in its place? A lot of uncertainty. And uncertainty with age is never a good thing.
Mid-Atlantic Bias 
bun de tot
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