Celtics can reboound faster than Lakers

 But, unfortunately they have never signed a big time free agent…..winter weather is a major deterrant

Boston has very little as far as trade assets go, whereas the Lakers will have a number of guys that could be solid draws. Not to mention, Kobe Bryant is still one of the best basketball players in the world, and should be that for at least another 3 years or so. Boston may be in decent cap position, but their core is old as all hell, and as capecodder pointed out, even with their tradition of winning, they have never been the hottest FA destination. The Lakers look WAY better than the Celtics in the long term for these reasons, even if it does not appear that they will be able to sign new FA’s. It is not like in 2012 some team will be in position to sign players at the talent level of who the Heat signed this past year.

 Shaq is waaaaaay past his prime… He should be thinking about retirement now… Not hopping onto a championship bandwagon journeyman… what’s next? Join the Bulls? No way. I really thought trading away Kendrick Perkins was a huge factor on why they were beaten… The C’s lost a little bit of toughness when he got traded…

Celtics vs Heat this season

With Perkins on the roster: 3-0

Without Perkins on the roster: 1-5

Unbelievable how a much an 8-8 guy mattered.

 they are 2-0 with Perkins i think tongue… he didn’t play the first meeting in october because of the injury he suffered in the 2010 Finals…

I don’t think he played in the second meeting either from memory; people can’t blame this loss on the Perk trade; the Daniels injury was also a factor, and Jeff Green did some good things for the Cs in this series, particularly helping Pierce with guarding Lebron and allowing the Cs to match Miami when they went small. Perkins isn’t their help-side defender, that’s KG, he was the Bynum/Howard stopper.

 Marcus, tounge out just said on the roster, not necessarily playing….and Mikeyv, i think your completely off base. Lakers have little to no assests, niether does Boston really. Lakers could probably move Odom but they don’t want to trade Gasol or Bynum currently, so that leaves Shannon Brown who played like ish this year. Boston is doing much better tho, their not going to move the Big 3 or Rondo, want Jeff Green long term it seems, maybe could package Big Baby and Avery Bradley, maybe even Delonte West but that’s it…in a few years, both teams futures are quite murky

MarcusFizer

Yeah, that’s why I put "on the roster" but yeah I get what you mean

They do not want to trade Bynum or Gasol? I think that has become a definite possibility. Do not think I am off base at all. The Celtics were a team that struggled for years after Larry Bird retired, they for many years were one of the worst teams in the league. The Lakers have had a much quicker turn around, not to mention that Odom, Gasol and Bynum all are possible trade assets, whereas the Celtics are not trading anyone for anything of value. KG is thinking of calling it quits, Pierce ain’t leaving and Ray Allen, as fantastic as he played this year, is near the end of the road.

The Lakers are absolutely in a better position, if not just for the fact that Kobe Bryant is in a different hemisphere than any player on either team. Even if they keep Gasol and Bynum, the fact that they could possibly trade Odom and Brown for something decent is fairly appealing. I am surprised people are counting them out, considering they both lost in the 2nd round.

Jeff Green is supposed to make me feel better about Boston? Hate to break it, but, Green will never be Lamar Odom. He is not that versatile, not that type of defender and while his defensive presence was heavily publicized, he was generally murdered by LeBron James during every game other than their one vistory. Sure, he does not have to guard LeBron all of the time, but he will in the play-offs.

The Lakers have much more to build on than the Celtics, and for the Celtics to build, you have to rely on so many more variables. The Lakers can trade 8 figure players for further assets, the Celtics are relying on trading prospects with I think less value than you believe they are worth. Delonte West was basically a throw in, not to mention he is someone they should definitely keep. The Celtics used to have a defense that was incredibly intimidating without any real weak link. This changed once they traded Kendrick Perkins.

Perkins was their defensive anchor, and when they traded him, they made an investment in Shaq being able to provide a plug in the middle for 25 mpg. He was expected to have more of an offensive presence than Perkins, draw fouls and get the occasional offensive rebound. Well, without Perkins, where did all of this go? Yes, he may have only been an 8 and 8 guy, but they did not get those rebounds from anyone else. Over the last two games, Miami destroyed them on the boards. Games 2, 4 and 5, Miami outrebounded them by 6, 17 (!) and 8. Game 1 they tied, and Game 3, when KG had 18 boards, Miami was outrebounded by 3. Clearly, not having a presence at Center, which the Celtics definitely did not, was an issue.

The Lakers meanwhile, have problems that are involved not as much with a lack of talent, but with a lack of chemistry. They have major pieces that I believe, after the series with Dallas, they are incredibly happy to move. The ultimate thing that I think puts the Lakers in a better situation is that they still have size, and they have Kobe. The future of course looks murky for both of these teams, but in the next 3-5 years, I like the Lakers much better. As crazy as it sounds, and I was not a believer, the Lakers could indeed end up with Dwight Howard. While Kobe and Dwight may not be Kobe and Shaq, they certainly would make a formidable combo. You hear about a lot of players wanting to go to LA, you hear about older veterans who have not won a ring yet wanting to go to Boston. Give me the Lakers there, these may be pipe dreams right now, but the Lakers could make them happen much sooner than Boston. Afterall, Kevin McHale is not a GM anymore.

So, tell me, how am I exactly off base? The fact that you can not name me the last big name free agent that signed in Boston? The fact that their core is much older than the Lakers? The fact that Boston as of now has much fewer tradeable assets to build on than the Lakers? Yes, they keep the big 3 and Rondo, sign Jeff Green (whoop-di-doo) and potentially trade Big Baby (for whom?) and Avery Bradley, though I doubt they move either of them. They have a decrepit and weak stable of bigs who are all question marks come play-off time, which makes them much weaker than they used to be at defense and rebounding. Meanwhile, the Lakers can trade some players for either more athleticism at the guard or really any position, something they need, and they are in more trouble? Cap room always seems like the resolution to anything, but it provides even more variables than having actual tradeable assets, which the Lakers do and the Celtics do not. You do not have to agree with me, but I do not at all believe I am off base in my beliefs.

I actually read MikeyV’s novel..  and I agree with it.  What he just said is basically what most basketball fans feel. 

The Celtics will have a tougher time rebuilding simply because they have less assets that other teams covet.  In all reality, when it comes to talent to build upon, the Celtics only have Rondo.  Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett are not guys that other teams want to build around.  Instead, they are pieces to a larger puzzle.  Whereas the Lakers have two tradeable players that teams can build around in Bynum and Gasol.  (I know Kobe is another, but he’s untradeable)

Rondo is not going anywhere, as he is untouchable to Boston as Kobe is to L.A.  So given that, Boston has no other players that other teams want and will give up good pieces for.  L.A. has Bynum and Gasol, which are two players that can help other teams advance to or farther in the playoffs.

Yeah, but all 3 of those palyers you mentioned are all shells of their former selves and two year rentals.  Garnett (35), Allen (36), S. O’Neal (39), J. O’Neal (33) are on their last legs.  I give them one or two more years in the league.  Where you can get Bynum (23) and Gasol (31).  Both are younger and better players.  What’s wrong with a "soft" player?  Boozer is soft.  Dirk is soft.  And you know what?  Both of them are going somewhere Boston isn’t, the conference finals.

Give me Kobe over Rondo any day of the week.

Not to mention, Bynum and Gasol are better than Garnett, Allen, and either O’Neal.

And don’t use the "21mil off the books" with KG on that one.  Andrew Bynum has a team option after next season so they can get rid of him too if they don’t like what they get OR they can trade him for equal or better value as he will be getting better as his career goes on.

I don’t know how Boston can get Rudy Gay with an old Garnett, two old and useless O’Neals.  And they don’t need Ray Allen because they already have Tony Allen and OJ Mayo.  Same with Granger, the Pacers are a young team, why would they want to get older and ruin what they have?  And the Rockets have nothing to look forward to next season except Martin, Lowry, and Scola.  Why would they give any of them up for cap relief?

This is simple. The Lakers trade for Dwight and even with an aging Kobe and a less thna impressive Gasol they are still pretty much set. Boston is screwed…there only hope is getting Dwight in 2012 but he probably wont evne last until free agency and they dont have the assets to deal for him.

Not sure that either team can rebuild that fast.  It took the Celtics 22 to win a title after Larry Bird’s great run.  The Lakers didn’t win a championship in the Nineties after Magic retired.  It might take awhile for both teams to rebuild.  I like LA’s chances better because free agents like going to LA. 

The Celtics drafted Pierce, traded for KG and Ray Allen, drafted Big Baby, and traded for Rondo on draft night.  An old Shaq signed with them.  An old Dominique Wilkins signed with them way back, but I they don’t really get the big free agents.

The Celtics have to figure out a way to build around Rondo, Big Baby, and Jeff Green.  That gives them one great point guard, and two decent big men although both are better off the bench.  They need to get some mid-level free agents with youth and talent.  They need to reload at center and get some guys who can come in and replace Pierce and Allen in a few years.  They might want to roll the dice on Greg Oden if they can get him cheap.  I think they had it right when they built the team around defense, rebounding, passing, and good outside shooting. 

The old Celtics tried to rebuild around Bird, McHale, and Parish but Len Bias and Reggie Lewis died and Bird and McHale got hurt and retired somewhat early. 

But, they have a great point guard and a great culture so they have a lot more than many teams do. 

the celtics SHOULD shop rondo right now … i don’t think his value will ever be higher AND he’s the tradable asset they really have capable of bringing something in return

simply put, rondo is NOT the guy you’re going to rebuild around and neither is jeffn green … neither of these guys can be the best player on a championship team and the celtics should shop both of them to see if they can get someone to overpay

watching the celtics try to close games in this series it was increasingly obvious that they don’t have much in the way of a guy who can get his own shot or a shot for someone else no matter what! they need that elite type of offensive player who can draw a double team or break down a defense, rondo can do the latter but isn’t a threat offensively – i’m not sure exactly what they ask for in return and if they can’t get something good, then obviously you don’t trade rondo … but as of right now, i don’t think this big 4 is capable of winning another title as constituted – rondo is the only piece they have that could garner something in return … maybe you try to offer rondo for cp3 if it’s a possibility?

not trying to make rondo the scapegoat, but nobody is going to give up any kind of championship calibur assests for any of the other big 3 at this point when you might have them for 1 … maybe 2 more years? … also, i really see rondo’s weaknesses being exposed more with the retirement of the big 3 in future years … especially if jeff green is his best running mate

Someone made the point that Boston went through long troughs.

Well maybe people forget about Len Bias, who would have been to Boston what Michael was to CHicago, followed then by the Reggie Lewis death, which had a less, but still damaging effect on the franchise.

Thats two franchise players gone. The Lakers otoh had Kobe and Shaq unite, and stay healthy.

Celtics need a decent Centre and a contributing bench until they get to reload in 2012. When you consider the perfect storm of situations that conspired against this team a decent centre and a longer time together for the new players to have developed some chemistry was all they need. Jeff Green getting more minutes than a soon to be departed Glenn Davis is a start. If they can land a solid Centre in FA, then the team can contend effectively.

Doc Rivers coming back long term is a good sign that he knows they will retool big time to win eventually.

Lakers can dangle Bynum and Gasol to takers, but the bigger issue that faces any player coming to Lakers is whether Kobe is going to defer leadership of the team. The egos of players need to be set aside for multiple stars and new ones to work.

We shall see…very soon.

"Celtics vs Heat this season

With Perkins on the roster: 3-0

Without Perkins on the roster: 1-5

Unbelievable how a much an 8-8 guy mattered."

No, Kendrick Perkins didn’t play in the first two Celtic wins. By that logic, the Celtics really missed Luke Harangody and Semih Erden too.