This week, Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge gave the following quote to a Florida journalist: "I think the playoffs are great for the players, coaches and fans, but I'm not going to lie about it," Ainge said. "For the long-term part of this, it's obviously better for us to get a higher draft pick. That's just the truth."
Maybe I'm overreacting, but I find this quote appalling and despicable. I don't care what kind of future plans Ainge has for the team, there is no acceptable reason to tank the season. If the Celtics miss the playoffs, they will probably be rewarded with a pick somewhere between six and 10 unless there's some sort of "fix" in place for the Celtics this year (which would not shock any veteran NBA fan). Tanking the season sends a terrible message to the fans and the players, as well as other players around the league. Will free agents in the future find Boston a desirable place to play if they know the current management has a history of losing on purpose? If I'm Danny Ainge, that is a legitimate concern.
Danny Ainge played in Boston for the Celtics. He knows that Celtics fans expect their team to be the best every year and that missing the playoffs is not acceptable. Right now, Celtics fans are excited about the team's improved play (six game winning streak) and are not quite ready to throw away the season.
Mark Blount has taken over the role of big man since the Tony Battie and Eric Williams trade and has been wreaking havoc in the middle of the paint, averaging over 11 rebounds per game over the last eight games. Since the All-Star break, Blount has averaged 12.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game-numbers any NBA coach would be thrilled to see in the box score. In the offseason, Ainge must seriously consider signing Blount to a long-term deal, especially in the center-starved Eastern Conference.
In addition to Blount, Ricky Davis has been surprisingly well-behaved of late. After a couple years of being the center of attention in Cleveland, Davis has been shockingly complacent since accepting his role as sixth man for the Celtics. Although he's coming off the bench, Davis' minutes have been increasing and his numbers have been improving-signs that maybe a new environment was all he needed. (Note to Allen Iverson: This could apply to you as well.) I've said all along that I like Ricky Davis and I like the thought of Pierce moving to the small forward position to allow Davis time at the two.
Despite Pierce's great shooting touch, he is much more valuable to the Celtics when he is driving to the basket with aggression and kicking it out to the open man when the double team comes. After Antoine Walker was traded, it seemed as though Pierce lost confidence in his teammates and forced up too many shots in traffic. With a second scoring threat in Davis and semi-reliable shooters Jiri Welsch, Chucky Atkins and Walter McCarty, Pierce seems to be finding his groove once again and making his teammates better.
It doesn't look as though the Celtics players are throwing away the season; let's just hope that Ainge doesn't panic if they keep playing competitively and start inserting himself into the lineup to lose on purpose. If he does, I suggest permanent banishment from the NBA, a la Pete Rose.
Terrell Owens loves the spotlight. And who doesn't? Owens just happens to be better than the average person at inserting himself into the spotlight. A few weeks ago, not only did Owens' agent forget to file the necessary paperwork to declare the All-Pro wide receiver a free agent, but now Owens is threatening to not report to Baltimore and receive his physical, a prerequisite for his trade from San Francisco to become finalized.
The Ravens are in the unenviable position of dealing with an unhappy Owens after giving up a second-round draft pick in the trade. Right now, no one is happy except for the 49ers, who have rid themselves of TO's antics once and for all. In the middle of a rebuilding process, the 49ers have no need for one of the top two receivers in the game or his salary for that matter. Additionally, the Eagles are upset at the 49ers and the NFL for allowing this trade to go through. Allegedly, the Eagles had a trade in place with the 49ers for Owens and had already agreed to a new contract with Owens which would pay him much more than his current deal. However, the 49ers backed out of the deal without telling the Eagles and immediately shipped Owens to the Ravens, a destination TO was not thrilled with, to say the least.
Now that the Union and lawyers have become involved and Owens has threatened to hold out, it seems possible that the Eagles may return to the Owens sweepstake; a scary thought. Even if the trade is ruled legitimate, it seems possible that the Eagles and Ravens could work out a deal for Owens which will appease everyone involved.
The Eagles need a player like Owens, especially after reaching the NFC Championship three years in a row and losing each time because of their inability to score on offense. They already have one of the league's best defenses and one of the league's best quarterbacks. Owens would immediately be the Eagles' first receiving option and would be a huge upgrade over current receivers James Thrash, Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell.
If TO ends up in Philly, they may be the only team in the NFL with the defense and offense to compete with the Patriots.