Mikey D

Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. Quite the nucleus of players, yes? With the Garnett trade, the Celtics have gathered three bona-fide all-stars to put on their roster. Immediately they have become contenders in the Eastern Conference. Getting Allen and Garnett...was it worth it in the long run?

Essentially this is what the Celtics are giving up for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett:
2007 1st Round Pick (Jeff Green)
2009 1st Round Pick
Future 1st Round Pick
Wally Szczerbiak
Delonte West
Gerald Green
Sebastian Telfair
Al Jefferson
Theo Ratliff
Ryan Gomes

Seems like a lot, yes? Szczerbiak and Ratliff are salary dumps that make room for the contracts of Garnett and Allen, and the respective teams that traded for them are more than happy to take them off the Celts hands (salary cap room is almost as valuable as the players themselves now). Here's what the Celtics have done by giving up these ten pieces:
1) Mortgaged their best young talent in Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Gerald Green.
2) Have zero salary cap relief for the next five years (66% of their roster's salary goes to the big three), not allowing them to pursue any possible decent free agents.
3) Will have a slim chance of bringing in any impact rookies or decent rookies to develop in the foreseeable future by getting rid of three first round picks.

Again, is it all worth it for a run at the Eastern Conference Finals?

The Lakers of 04' tried it with Shaq, Kobe, Malone, and Payton. Didn't work. The Rockets tried it with Olajuwon, Barkley, and Drexler. Didn't work. Even the Nets and Suns today, with Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson and Nash, Stoudemire, and Marion (and Joe Johnson two years ago!) can't make it work. Two stars and a strong supporting cast works, three does not. History proves it, from Jordan and Pippen, to Kareem and Magic, to Stockton and Malone, to Shaq and Kobe/Wade, to Duncan and Parker, and on down the line.

Let's put history aside for the moment. Both Allen and Pierce are coming off sub-par and an injury riddled seasons. They aren't spring chickens anymore. Oh, and don't they play the exact same position? Has everyone forgotten that these two are practically twins? They are shoot-first guards who are used to being the focal points of their teams. I wondered before the Garnett trade whether they'd be able to coexist, and now you throw in another all-star who's used to being the center of attention? Unless they play with three balls, I struggle to see them meshing well together. Three men, nearing the end of their primes, coming off injuries (except Garnett), with expectations and pressures of an Eastern Conference championship (something they aren't used to)...I just don't see it working.

Here's the thing though: It has to! They have to make it work, because they don't have a choice for the next five years. They cannot rebuild through the draft, and they cannot pick up free agents. This is it! What if they win an Eastern Conference championship but get slaughtered by the superior West in the Finals? Was it still worth it to bring these guys on board? Unless you feel like you can win the whole damn thing, I say no.

I read Bill Simmons' article this morning, and I was rather disappointed. He was elated with Garnett trade. He argues that, "The whole point of fielding an NBA team is to win a title -- if you have the chance, you have to try." To paraphrase the next part, "you have to try even if your supporting cast isn't that strong." I completely disagree. I believe there is a model in place for winning championships in the NBA: Strong drafts, smart role-player acquisitions through free-agency, salary cap flexibility, and intelligent scouting. To me you try and excel in all four of these categories. That's trying. The Celtics in this case have failed in all four of these categories and are going against the grain of proven models for NBA success. Yes Bill, the point is to win an NBA title, but even by making the trades I don't put the Celtics above the Spurs, Suns, or Mavericks. I still honestly believe the Pistons are far better than the Celtics. I picture Chauncey abusing Rondo at point, Rip running Allen all over the floor on his bum ankles, Tayshaun being Tayshaun on D against Pierce, and Rasheed neutralizing Garnett as he's done in the past. It's a team game, and I see better teams out there that have followed the model for success.

Bill even told the story of the Barkley, Olajuwon, and Drexler Rockets. Yes those Rockets came close. The Lakers of 04' came even closer. If close is good enough for you and your team, than you will achieve everything you hoped for this coming year. Me? I want my team to raise banners. Trust me, as a Pistons fan for the last five years, coming close sucks. It sucks just as much as missing the playoffs.

Minnesota's side...

Are any of the players that Minnesota got back as good as Garnett? No. Absolutely not. But they have a great young core now. Here's what Minny is packing:
1) Young Core: Randy Foye, Corey Brewer, Al Jefferson, Chris Richard, Gerald Green
2) Draft Picks: Celtics 2009 number 1, Future number 1, and probably top-10 picks of their own for the next few years, since they'll be terrible.
3) Salary Cap Relief: Theo Ratliff's expiring contract and Garnett's contract off the books- woo-hoo!
4) Solid Veterans: Ricky Davis (not the greatest leader, but decent player), Juwan Howard, and Mark Blount.
Definitely a team that is a work in progress, but they're on their way. They are following the model for success, and I like it. I'm a Minny fan.

It's funny, the T-Wolves and Celts had a trade in 06' that got fairly positive reviews from analysts. It was the trade that sent Wally to Boston for Ricky Davis. Here's what Chad Ford said:
"Put a marksman of Wally's class in a mix with Pierce and Boston's three promising youngsters (Delonte West and power players Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins) and McHale's buddy Danny Ainge just might have the start of something. Emphasis on start, but a little something nonetheless."

Ainge had the start, but he couldn't wait to reach the finish line. He decided to take the short cut in hopes of winning the race. It's a marathon race though, not a sprint, and those who stay the course usually end up winning.

~Mikey D