Celtics/Utah Preview (UPDATED)

Here is a picture of Jeff Green's college days, doing something.

Depth Chart

	Boston (PPG)	Utah (PPG)
PG	R. Rondo 10.7	D. Harris 15.0
SG	R. Allen 17.3	C. Miles 12.2
SF	P. Pierce 18.9	A. Kirilenko 11.9
PF	K. Garnett 15.1	P. Millsap 17.3
C	N. Krstic 7.6	A. Jefferson 17.8
View full depth chart: Boston Utah

The first game of the new look Celtics and the Amazing Jeff Green and Nenad the Offensive Rebounding Machine went well as we were able to beat the Clippers and everything was jipper. Tonight we play another new look team that is heavy with the big men. Utah has Paul Milsap, Al Jefferson and Derrek Favors. That scares me a lot figuring our big man issue (don't say see if we had Kendrick Perkins bullshit either, he's out 2-3 weeks). Nenad not only has a funny name but impressed me a lot the first game on the glass. If he can toughen up, which I believe he can that will be huge.

Jeff Green looked lost the 1st game, he looked out of place, with a couple more practices under his belt he should know where to be this game. But the key to this game will obviously be Rondo. Who has a match up he can work with against Devin Harris and has some match ups he can exploit with CJ Miles on Ray and AK 47 on Paul Pierce. If he can find a way to hit them on the hands all game it should be over before it starts.

Celtics win 108-95
Tommy Award: Rajon


***UPDATE***

"Delonte West sprained his right ankle during an informal workout on Sunday when he stepped on another player's foot and will be out for the Celtics game Monday night against the Jazz. West also is questionable for Wednesday's game vs. the Suns. This latest injury once again puts the Celtics in a bind as West is the only experienced point guard on the roster behind Rajon Rondo, following Nate Robinson's trade to the Thunder (WEEI)."

Beckett Leaves Practice After Getting Hit During BP (2 UPDATES)

"Red Sox SP Josh Beckett was hit in the head during team batting practice on Monday morning as he was standing in the outfield, according to the Boston Globe. Beckett walked off the field with trainers, rubbing his head where he was hit. It is not currently known how serious the injury is or if he will miss his next scheduled exhibition start on Thursday against the Phillies (CBS Sports)."

There is no word yet on how serious this injury will be, but he was all the way in the outfeild, so I doubt it is anything serious. If he does have to miss any time that could be a bad sign for the Red Sox. Beckett has struggled anytime he has had to miss time during Spring Training. After the terrible season that was last year, the Red Sox really need Beckett to be healthy and in-shape.

Beckett made his first start yesterday going 2 innings againsty the Twins allowing 1 run on two hits. We will keep you posted if this injury ends up being anything serious.


***UPDATE***

"Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett was OK after getting hit on the left side of the head with a ball before Monday's spring training game. Beckett is expected to make his next spring training start Thursday (ESPN)."

***UPDATE 2***

"The Red Sox have released a statement saying Josh Beckett suffered a mild concussion after being hit in the left side of the head with a baseball during the team's batting practice prior to its game against the Twins at City of Palms Park Monday. He was sent home from the park and will be reevaluated Tuesday (WEEI)."

Why Not?

Why not let RoboCop save Detroit?

RoboCop Speaks to Detroit from Peter Weller

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #7 Josh Freeman

JOSH FREEMAN - Quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

At Numero Siete we have another great young QB, and our final NFLer on the list. For all the nice things I wrote about Sam Bradford, I can write even more kind words about this young man and what he has already accomplished in Tampa Bay.

Josh Freeman did not take the Heisman Trophy finalist path to the NFL. He was not the high-profile quarterback that everyone is clamoring over to draft when he was coming out of Kansas State University. He was, however, a highly touted recruit coming out of high school in Missouri. As a senior he was rated by Rivals.com as the #92 national prospect and #1 in his home state. Among quarterbacks he was #9. Originally committed to Nebraska, Freeman was convinced to play for the Wildcats at the last minute.

At Kansas State he put up terrific numbers, but was never really in the national spotlight, due mostly to the team's performance. As a freshman he set school records for passing yards and also owns the career mark. He is one of two KSU QBs to score 60 total touchdowns - 44 through the air. His passer rating at KSU was over 100 each year, and his career rating was a robust 124.73

Despite the team's lack of accomplishments, it is easy to see why some NFL organizations were eager to get a closer look at Freeman during workouts and the combine. Freeman and his 6'6" frame with tremendous physical abilities shot up draft boards in the weeks leading up to the draft. Some casual fans weren't sure about him, and even some analysts thought it might be a reach to expect him to be your franchise quarterback. The Bucs, however, were not swayed and moved up two spots to #17 to select Freeman in the first round of the 2009 draft.

Freeman made his debut in November, 2009 and became the youngest QB in franchise history to win his first ever NFL game. A few weeks later he would lead the hapless Bucs over eventual Super Bowl Champion Saints in a huge upset.

By the time 2010 rolled around, there were actually some expectations on Freeman. He surpassed those expectations and some in 2010 putting up some gaudy numbers by any standard, and leading Tampa Bay to a near playoff berth when most experts didn't give them a shot. Able to stretch the pocket and make plays with his feet as well as his arm has Freeman looking like the prototypical NFL QB of the future. He threw for 25 touchdowns to go with only 6 picks. He ranked tied for 10th in touchdown passes with Joe Flacco, and ahead of Matt Schaub, Jay Cutler and Mike Vick. His passer rating of 95.9 was good for 6th in the league and ahead of names like Flacco, Cassel, Schaub, Manning (PEYTON!), Ryan and Brees! Only Brady and Roethlisberger threw less picks, and Big Ben played 4 less games. He also completed over 60 percent of his passes on the season, which put him in the upper echelon of QBs in that regard.

Needless to say, 2010 was a very good season for the young Freeman. The alternate spot on the Pro-Bowl squad he earned was more than deserved. The big step going forward for Tampa Bay and Josh Freeman will be making sure that he doesn't regress into a flash in the pan. 2011 (if there is one) will not be a season of Freeman sneaking up on opponents. The game plan will be in place to stop him and he will need to adjust. Tampa Bay fans are certainly hoping that he will - and they're even more hopeful that the next season will bring a playoff appearance, and maybe even a deep run. They have what surely looks like their franchise QB in place, and at just 23 years old he should be plenty productive for the foreseeable future.

Shaq Back Wednesday?

Here is your weekly Shaq injury update...

"According to the Boston Herald, while the Celtics had considered having center Shaquille O'Neal join the club during its current four-game Western Conference swing, a decision was instead made to have the 38-year-old rejoin the Celtics when they return to Boston on Tuesday. The Celtics have just one remaining game on the trip (Monday night in Utah against the Jazz), and so the decision was made not to rush O'Neal across the country for the sake of participating in just one game. Instead, he remains in Orlando, rehabbing his injured right Achilles tendon.

"He’s doing great. Just stay where you’re at, keep working out, and he’ll meet us when we get back to Boston. Then we’ll go from there," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of O'Neal. "He may try to play when we get back (WEEI)."

There is no reason to rush Shaq back, and the Celtics have to be really careful with him now that Perkins is gone. I am not banking on Jermaine O'Neal doing anything for the Celtics, which puts a lot of pressure on Shaq. I want to believe DP, and his thinking on the Celtics/Thunder trade. I agree with him that the Celtics got the best player in that deal (Green), but was he the best fit?

Maybe, maybe not, but my biggest concern is the Celtics frontline. Banking on a 38 year old Shaq to be able to bring it for decent minutes throughout a long playoffs may be asking too much. Same could be said about Perkins, and seeing him out for a couple weeks definitely makes me like the deal more. I just have this stinging feeling that come playoff time we may look back and wish Perkins was here.

Long term the deal is fantastic, there is no denying that, and I have enough faith in Ainge and Doc that I'm willing to give the trade a couple of weeks before getting overly pissed, because it is going to take some time to get Green in the swing of things.

Am I The Only One Who Thinks Jenks Is Going To Suck?

It's a rainy day in Boston, and there is some hateraid in my blood.

Let me start this by saying this has nothing to do with the whole Guillen/Jenks battle. I think that whole thing is childish, and is two assholes who can't keep their mouths shut. Thus, I couldn't care less about it. But let's go over some facts of things that DO matter. Here is Jenks stats over the past 4 seasons...

2007: 40 saves, 2.77 ERA, and a .198 opponent batting average.
2008: 30 saves, 2.63 ERA, and a .230 opponent batting average.
2009: 29 saves, 3.71 ERA, and a .250 opponent batting average.
2010: 27 saves, 4.44 ERA, and a .260 opponent batting average.

Seeing a trend yet?

I am not against the signing. He gives the Red Sox flexibility, and the Red Sox needed more arms then just Papelbon and Bard, but for anyone to really think this guy is going to come in and dominate, I think you're living in a fantasy world. Maybe I am wrong, and changing teams and roles will help revive his career, but I am not sure how much I am really buy into that.

Call me a hater, but looking at those stats I feel there is a lot to back me up.

Rasheed Wallace Rumors Just Won't Go Away

Just when you thought it was over, Stephen A. Smith (self proclaimed long time friend of Rasheed Wallace) had this to say on WEEI today....

"So, I simply said I think he's going to end up coming back to Boston, because I believe that Boston is going to be the team that fights the Lakers for the world championship, and I believe that Doc Rivers is the ultimate motivator. And I think if you have an opportunity to play for Doc Rivers for a couple of months, that's not something that you're going to turn down. I still believe that. I still believe that Rasheed Wallace is going to come back (WEEI)."

Do I believe it? Ugh, well I have been going back and forth on this all year, but if you put a gun to my head I say no. It doesn't seem like Ainge wants him back and I don't trust anything Stephen A. Smith says, but I will say this... After the loss of Perkins, if Sheed was popular in that locker room you might see them bring him back to smooth things over (especially with KG and Rondo).

This Hurts

This is like seeing an ex with a new person.

He's out 2-3 weeks, does the trade seem any better?

Get Ready For The Over Hyping Of The Knicks

Out of all the NY teams the Knicks are the team I hate the least. But I can already tell from sportscenter and everyone will be drinking the Kool Aid now that they had a comeback win over the Heat (great game by the way, also does LeBron miss every big shot or is it just me?)

Rant time:

The Knicks are still a fucking joke. They have 2 and a half players in Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups when he plays a team without an aggressive point guard. And don't tell me this bullshit about newfound defense. Amare blocked LeBron, great play. Don't tell me that D'Antoni changed his whole philosophy over night. As a matter of fact the Knicks will not succeed until D'Antoni is fired and they get a defensive minded coach. I don't know if it's possible to teach defense to Amare and Melo, but they need something. I agree with the Melo trade even if it was for a million people, but lets not act like the Knicks will win it this year or next. They are about 3 years away from being a top 4 seed. Melo adds you maybe 3-4 more wins but nothing significant.

I don't get the Knicks and I don't get the aura around Madison Square Garden. What is the big deal about it? The Knicks haven't done shit since Willis Reed came back and Madison Square Garden is known more for Spike Lee being a court side cheerleader/ annoyance than the Knicks winning.

Die

2011 MLB Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

Offense:
1 CF Andrew McCutchen
2 LF Jose Tabata
3 2B Neil Walker
4 3B Pedro Alvarez
5 1B Lyle Overbay
6 RF Garrett Jones
7 C Chris Snyder
8 SS Ronny Cedeño

I just threw up all over the place. Their are some promising pieces in the Pirates organization with Andrew McCutchen who could be a potential star and Pedro Alvarez could be a great clean up hitter. Neil Walker and Jose Tabata were decent in their rookie years. Progression should be the reason why this line up is a little better then last year.

Pitching:
1 RHP James McDonald
2 RHP Kevin Correia
3 LHP Paul Maholm
4 RHP Ross Ohlendorf
5 LHP Scott Olsen
CL: Joel Hanrahan

I'm really sick now. This is just awful. It’s a bit scary the No. 1 guy in the rotation is James McDonald, who was all of 4-6 last year with a 4.02 ERA. McDonald has thrown 140 2/3 innings in his major league career. There was a time that I thought Scott Olsen was going to be very good, however, he may not win the 5th start.

Overall:
Yuck

61- 101

Buy- Out Options

Rasual Butler and Troy Murphy.

Rasual Butler is a 6'7 swingman who can knock down a shot and play decent defense. A lot of reports say that he is going to the Bulls, but an updated report says otherwise. With the addition of Jeff Green the need for a 3 has gone down but it couldn't hurt.

I never thought I would say this but Troy Murphy is a must. He's a big guy who can spread the floor and shoot and gobble some rebounds. We need some size, any size since we got rid of Perk/ Semih.

How the West Was Won

Maybe the Bruins should request to play their playoff games on the road. They certainly seem to perform best while away from Boston. The Bruins have won all 5 on their road trip, including a 3-1 win over the Canucks, holders of the best home record in the NHL.

How? Well, it starts with goaltending. Tim Thomas excelled in Vancouver and Calgary, and Tuukka Rask more than held his own in Edmonton, Ottawa, and Nassau.

Then comes the timely scoring. Horton's muscular goal to tie the game in Vancouver. Then Lucic's winning score in the 3rd of the Vancouver game. Lucic has learned the art of scoring in the slot. When he scored against the Canucks, it wasn't just good old fashioned aggression. When Seidenberg blasted a shot, Lucic was ready to smack in the rebound.

What's amazed me about Lucic this season is how quickly he becomes ready to score, how he positions himself in scoring position, before the rebound reaches his stick. When Seidenberg was rearing back to take his shot, Lucic was already prepping for the rebound. And that's why he has 27 goals.

In Edmonton, the team's effort wasn't as inspirational. Then again, they'd just taken on a tough opponent, then traveled to another West Canada bastion of hockey. Nevertheless, the Bruins still overcame the lowly Oilers. It was nice to see guys like Horton and Ryder finally paying their dues on the party bus.

This is a team that will take some doing to reckon with.

Bruins at Senators on Tuesday night.

-The Commodore

Chick Of The Day

Jenna Shea

For more Click Here

What I'll Be Eating This Weekend

A MASSIVE MCMUFFIN!

2011 MLB Preview: AL West

DP and I have gone trough the AL west this week, and here is how we see this division playing out...

1. Texas Rangers: 88-74
2. Los Angeles Angels: 88-74
3. Oakland A's: 83-79
4. Seattle Mariners: 70-92

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #8 Jason Heyward

JASON HEYWARD - Right Fielder, Atlanta Braves



Number 8 on the list comes to us via Major League Baseball which, much like the NBA, is going through a bit of a resurgence of young talent. The Jeters and ARods of the world are getting older and perhaps at the forefront of the influx of young talent is our next guy on the list - Jason Heyward. Some may see him as a bit too high on this list, but based on his potential and what he was able to do already in MLB I think he is deserving of the spot.

Baseball scouts began to take notice of Heyward as a young 1st baseman at Henry County High School, about 30 miles south of Atlanta, GA. Prior to that he was a young standout in youth travel leagues in the Atlanta area. He played so much baseball as a youngster that his father left his engineering job and became a consultant so he could set his own schedule around Jason's baseball games and practices. (Good move, old man.) The Atlanta Braves made Heyward their first selection in the 2007 MLB draft, #14 over all.




Heyward tuned up minor league pitchers from the jump, and it was painfully evident that he was just cooling his heels and biding his time before Atlanta made the call for him to join the big club. That call finally came after Heyward secured the Opening Day job in Right Field, in what should be his spot for the next decade or so.

Heyward burst on the scene in Atlanta in the most prolific way imaginable. I'm pretty sure the Atlanta tv guys had orgasms in the booth as they witnessed his first ever big league at-bat. (Sorry you can't hear the TV call...MLB sucks like that)
Check it out...

"Welcome to the show..." indeed! *Apologies for the "home video".*
(I'll say it again...MLB really needs to stop being youtube Nazis! They wonder why they're having trouble growing the game and spreading into urban areas. NBA, NFL, NHL all embrace the youtube generation while baseball remains crusty.)

You gotta love when someone steps up and delivers on all the hype, and Heyward did that and some as a rookie in 2010. If I told you that throughout the season Heyward would battle through knee and thumb injuries and spent the month of June hitting .181 you would probably assume that his rookie season was a disaster. Yet, that couldn't be any further from the truth. He finished the year with a robust .277 average - very respectable considering it was his first look at big league pitching - and a .456 slugging and a .393 OBP. His numbers in the 2nd half got even better. After the break he hit .302 and had an OPS of .876. All that was good for runner-up in the National League Rookie of the Year Award (Buster Posey). Had he not spent some time on the 15 day DL in the middle of the summer, Heyward would likely have been the winner. He did however, win the Baseball America Rookie of the Year and was also named to the Topps All-Rookie team.

Heyward, has drawn comparisons to players like Ken Griffey Jr and even Hank Aaron for his 5 tool ability and the way he sprays line drives all over the field. He has a chance to be among those ranks when his career is all said and done. He only needs to avoid the injuries that held Griffey back from being a Top 5 all-time player. His ceiling is THAT high. In the next decade or so baseball fans should be hearing plenty from Mr. Heyward, and Atlanta fans are hoping that he can help usher in the next great era in Braves baseball. At just 21 years old he definitely has time on his side.

Hangover 2 Teaser Trailer

2011 MLB Preview: Texas Rangers

2010 Record: 90-72

Pitching:
1 C.J. Wilson
2 Colby Lewis
3 Tommy Hunter
4 Derek Holland
5 Brandon Webb
6 Scott Feldman
CL - Neftali Feliz

Out of all the rotations we run through this is probably the one we know the least about. There are reports that Feliz might be moved to the rotation. Even if he doesn't there are 3 starters fighting for 2 spots, an behind them a shit load on minor league talent. Also, there are just a lot of questions about how well these guys will play. Is CJ Wilson for real, and can he handle back-to-back years pitching so many innings for the first time? Is Tommy Hunter going to be the same guy that went 13-4 last year? What are you going to get from Webb? Is Derek Holland ready to take the next step? So many questions, but with all the depth they have I think they will have a pretty good rotation even if a couple of these guys blow up in their face.

Hitting:

1. Elvis Andrus SS
2. Michael Young DH
3. Josh Hamilton OF
4. Nelson Cruz OF
5. Adrian Beltre 3B
6. Ian Kinsler 2B
7. Mike Napoli C
8. Mitch Moreland 1B
9. Julio Borbon OF

One of the best lineups in all of baseball, especially if they can keep Michael Young around. The big thing with this team will be health. Hamilton, Beltre, and Cruz have all had injury problems in the past, so keeping on the field will be the most important things for this team. Most people expect Beltre to fall off now they he got his contract, but with the talent around him he could put up very similar numbers. Basically, we are going to find out about Beltre's heart this season. With their rotation taking somewhat of a step back it's always conforming to know you have a lineup like this behind you.

Overall:
One of the hardest teams to figure out going into this year. Just so many questions. Will Young be here? All the questions with the rotation, but in the end this team has too much talent to just disappear, and will only get better with the talent they have coming up in the next 2-3 from the minors.

2011 Record: 88-74

It's Official: Charlie Sheen Is Batshit Crazy

Through all the crack, pornstars, and booze I still had this idea in my head that Charlie Sheen was really just having a good time. I know, that's stupid, but I thought if anyone could pull it off it was Charlie Sheen. That was until all this happened...

"Two and a Half Men" - Statement from CBS Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television

Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Bros. Television have decided to discontinue production of "Two and a Half Men" for the remainder of the season.

Charlie Sheen's reaction to the statement? He sent the following letter to TMZ:

What does this say about Haim Levine [Chuck Lorre] after he tried to use his words to judge and attempt to degrade me. I gracefully ignored this folly for 177 shows ... I fire back once and this contaminated little maggot can't handle my power and can't handle the truth. I wish him nothing but pain in his silly travels especially if they wind up in my octagon. Clearly I have defeated this earthworm with my words -- imagine what I would have done with my fire breathing fists. I urge all my beautiful and loyal fans who embraced this show for almost a decade to walk with me side-by-side as we march up the steps of justice to right this unconscionable wrong.

Remember these are my people ... not yours...we will continue on together (Comingsoon.net)..."

Obviously he has gone the way of Mel Gibson and completely lost his mind, but at least he is doing it in an hilarious rather then be a bigot. I mean who says "contaminated little maggot can't handle my power", and "my fire breathing fists"? What makes this even better is that fact that he wasn't on a radio show, or spoke out of turn, he wrote a letter. That's just fantastic.

It actually reminds me of the birthday card I got DP today for his birthday.

Happy birthday DP you contaminated little maggot, you can't handle my power or the truth that the Perkins' trade is a bad deal.

Love,
BMack

Tigers Cabrera Enters Rehab

"Miguel Cabrera arrived at spring training Thursday for the first time since he was arrested last week on suspicion of drunken driving and promptly apologized as Major League Baseball said he will undergo treatment set up by doctors administered by management and its players' union." ESPN

Baseball is a weird sport where if you can show up and play and be a coke head, booze bag, or anything else it's cool. The only thing we're against is steroids. Miggy says he's entering rehab for his comical DUI arrest a couple weeks ago, but we all know he's not going to quit drinking, he's not going to be a gym rat, and he will be Manny Ramirez esk and rely on his talents to carry him. However, I think he can do it.

The Tigers will have an interesting year, because both the White Sox and the Twins have better teams.

My Reaction To The Perk Trade

I certainly didn't expect Perkins to be traded in the start of yesterday so when I found the news out, I was shocked. Danny decided to make a series of trades yesteday headlined by Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, and a top 10 protected Los Angeles Clippers 1st round pick.

I first hated it, because I was emotional. We all love Perk, we saw him grow from a fat high school kid to the player he is today. He embodied the Celtics way of doing things, he was a hard worker, a tough kid and gave his all to get back from the MCL injury. And now that he's gone it's if one of your best friends moved across the country, all of us are just a little sad.

But if you lay the trade down on paper, you come away with a couple things. We received the best player in the trade in Jeff Green, Krstic and Perk aren't that far apart, and the difference between Nate and Jeff are gigantic.

People also forget that this team was the best team in the league and beat the Heat twice without Perk, and Perk just injured his knee, is coming off knee surgery and who says we can possibly sign him after this year? Actually the fact is that the Celtics were 33-10 this season without Perkins and only 4-3 with him as a starter. Also, a lot of people forget when the Celtics were in the championship they had James Posey playing the 4, and KG playing the 5. And in crucial times in games this year, Baby has been playing at the end of the 4th. The thing I'm worried about the most is team chemistry, these players have been together for a while now and I heard they were shaken up after the deal. However, they are veterans and professionals, I'm sure they will be able to get over it.

Jeff Green brings a lot of to the table coming off the bench, he's 6 foot 9, a long 6-foot-9, which means he easily fills the role as a backup to Paul Pierce. He has 3-point range. He can play the power forward spot, as well. Krstic also is unique in his own way with him being more of an offensive player then Perk. He has range, his rebounding numbers are gross for his size, but his offensive game give more room for Rondo to penetrate and dish instead of getting clogged up with Perk and his defender.

Also, if we can somehow get a Troy Murphy and Anthony Parker via buyout what do people think of the trade then? I know it's kind of bogus to say wait and see, but trust me, let this develop before you jump the boat because Danny could have just pulled a fast one.

89 Nuggets, 75 Celtics

The Captain probably won't understand this excuse but the Celtics simply ran out of steam in this game. The Celtics had an 8 man rotation and were able to keep up with the Nuggets pretty good up until the 4th when the Nuggets went on a 16-0 run.

It started off ugly when Pierce had 3 points and 3 fouls in the first half. So we had our best scorer stuck on the bench in foul trouble.

They just got tired in the end. Tough day.

Chick Of The Day

Today's Chick of the day is Dyana Razinn.

For more Dyana Click Here

Breaking News: Celtics Trade Perkins For Jeff Green (4 UPDATES - More Trades)

"In a trade deadline stunner, a source confirmed initial reports from Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski and Sam Amick that the Celtics have traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City in exhange for Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic. While the deal occured just before the deadline, another source indicated that the framework was in place earlier in the week (WEEI)."

Wow, this really was a shocker. Green is averaging 15 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Thunder, so he will add some punch to the Celtics 2nd unit. That being said Green's contract is up at the end of the year, and this could just be a rental. I don't know if I like this move. The Celtics are giving up one of their best defensive players, in an area where they are already weak with Shaq out another week, and Jermaine out possibly the rest of the year. Nenad Krstic is going to have to help out the centers unit, and although his stats are similar to that of Perkins, he is not half the defensive player.

I could care less about the Celtics trading away Nate, but Perkins (when healthy) is a big key to this team, and I'm just not sure two bench players make up for that.


***UPDATE***

"The Celtics aren't done dealing. A report from Adrian Wojnarowski has them dealing Semih Erden and Luke Harangody for a second round pick. The real value is in the roster spots that open with Erden and Harangody off the books. The Celtics were at the maximum number of players allowed on an NBA roster with 15 and this clears the way for them to puruse veteran free agents such as Troy Murphy and Rip Hamilton, once they are bought out by their teams (WEEI)."

They better get someone, because they are thinning out their centers way too much.


***UPDATE 2***

"According to a source, the Celtics will also get the Clippers 2012 first-round pick out of the deal (Celticsblog)."

Also, according to DP Jeff Green has a qualifying offer for next year, which makes me feel a lot better about this deal.


***UPDATE 3***

"Celtics have agreed to send Marquis Daniels to Sacramento for cash, source says (Celticsblog)."

Even more cap space cleared out. I expect Murphy, Rip, or Sheed (or any combo of those guys) to be joining the team after they are bought out.

***UPDATE 4***

Here is a quick list of all the trade that happened in the NBA today from ESPN...

Aaron Brooks to the Suns for Goran Dragic.
Semih Erden and Luke Harangody to the Cavaliers.
Gerald Wallace to the Blazers.
Jeff Green to Boston for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.
Shane Battier to the Grizzlies for Hasheem Thabeet.
Kirk Hinrich to the Hawks for Mike Bibby.
Baron Davis to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.
Deron Williams to the Nets.
Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks.
Carl Landry to the Hornets.
Troy Murphy to Golden State for Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric.
James Johnson to the Raptors.

We will have our thoughts on the rest tomorrow.

Celtics vs Nuggets Preview

Depth Chart

	Boston (PPG)	Denver (PPG)
PG	R. Rondo 11.0	R. Felton 17.1
SG	R. Allen 17.3	A. Afflalo 12.9
SF	P. Pierce 18.9	D. Gallinari 15.9
PF	K. Garnett 15.1	K. Martin 6.3
C	K. Perkins 7.3	N. Hilario 15.0
View full depth chart: Boston | Denver

They may have lost Melo but they proved two days ago they have enough firepower to put up 120. Do I think they will against the Celtics? no. Do I think it will be a close game? No. But the Nuggets shouldn't be a team to sleep on.

Denver is going to be all over the place offensively and not have their timing on plays down and for a very defensive minded Celtics team that just makes me believe that the Nuggets are in for a long night ahead of them.

The only guy the Celtics need to focus on is JR Smith. If they can contain him and not get him going, I like our odds.

Celtics win 110-92
Tommy Award: Pierce