Monday Evening Ramblings

First, before any sports talk today, a word about the horrific tragedy at Virginia Tech today. While this site is dedicated solely to sports news and our normally failed attempts at humor, we both wish to extend our sympathies. It may be pretty unlikely that anyone from that part of the country reads this...yet. Nevertheless, thoughts and prayers with the families of the victims and to all those survivors.

While it is difficult to think sports after mentioning such a horror, I will do my best.

Last week I made a post about fixing the Celtics. Sure enough, I read a Jackie MacMullan (former Celtics beat writer for the Boston Globe) article this week about Al Jefferson. My worthy adversary on this blog has debated me for months about his value, but this fan has only one opinion about Big Al - DO NOT TRADE HIM!

MacMullan's article talks about how Jefferson may be used a package chip to get someone like the artist formerly known as Jermaine O'Neal or Kevin Garnett. Both are mistakes (yes, even Garnett).

The easy rebuttal is for O'Neal. First, O'Neal has decreasing numbers since his monster 2004-2005 season, has not played more than 70 games since the '03 season, and has become an average rebounder (at best). Second, Jefferson is markedly younger than O'Neal, posted better rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shot numbers, and has a higher ceiling at this point in his career.

Garnett is more tricky, because KG can still play - at an extremely high level. He leaves it all out on the floor every night, is one of the game's best ambassadors, is a great team player and wants to win so bad you could predict an assault and battery on a fellow teammate...if he wasn't such a good one himself. The problem with KG is that not even Kevin McHale is that stupid to trade Garnett straight up for Al Jefferson - never mind the Collective Bargaining implications (the Traded Player Exception would not apply). To get KG would require Danny Ainge to change course (again) and give up on at least two young promising players to get KG (most likely Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract). Still seems like a pretty good trade, right? Problem is, I don't think McHale is this stupid either. He would seemingly require the likely #2 pick in the draft as well, which in this guy's opinion is too much for a guy who, if combined with Paul Pierce, will take up 80% of the cap room for the next three years.

So what does this mean.

Step one is to keep Al Jefferson (barring a boner GM move...which is not out of the question with the likes of Billy King, Isaiah Thomas, McHale, etc.).

Step two - trade Gerald Green. I know that last week I said we should play him 30 minutes a night, but the kid will not develop into a star. Period. His ceiling is a defenseless Shane Battier, or a more athletic Kyle Korver. Both would be great on a good team, but are virtually useless on a team that wants to get out of the basement fast. His value is still high and GMs around the league still realize that this is a 21 year old with outstanding athleticism and legit jumper. Trade him while his value is high for either a draft pick or adequate big man (see below).

Step three - get either the first or second pick in the draft. Getting Oden or Durant is a MUST for this master plan to play out. I actually hope for the second pick because not having a chance to pass on one of these guys is better for the psyche. Both have the upside to be Hall of Famers (yes, I said it). Truth is, it is a win-win either way.

Oden instantly makes the Celtics a legit playoff team in the East. A starting five in the East of Oden, Jefferson, Pierce, Delonte West, Rajon Rondo, with a bench of Tony Allen, Szczerbiak, Perkins, and Gomes is probably a 4-5 seed in the East.

Durant can provide a dynamic one-two outside punch with Pierce (moving to the two), with Rondo (perfectly suited for this offense as he doesn't need to score), Jefferson (less double teams), and either Kendrick Perkins (serviceable) or someone in a trade for Gerald Green. Again, this team is much improved over the current roster and a legit playoff team in the Leastern Conference.

So what does this all mean - that the Celtics aren't as far away from mediocrity as many may think....which means that Ainge will trade Jefferson and Rajon Rondo for Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley by the time you read this post.

One final note - the whole Don Imus fiasco got so much pub over the last few weeks that even Afghani warlords feel the whole thing was similar to stories of Dice K's diet. The guy is a moron, repeatedly insensitive and most likely a bigot. While my personal opinion is that the tales of healing for the Rutgers women's basketball team are overblown, I wasn't one of the 12 girls singled out. I won't bore anyone with First Amendment issues....my question is why Billy Packer got to fly under the radar. Packer, who has broadcasted the last 451 Final Fours, somehow got a pass on using the term "faggot" on the Charlie Rose show. Not that either statement personally offended me (I'm not a "nappy headed ho" or a "faggot" - save your jokes) - I just wonder why Packer effectively got off without much of a headline. Maybe some of you have an opinion on this.

Sleep tight kiddies.