Shaq WILL Comeback Next Year

Have we seen the last of Shaq? I seriously doubt it after listening Shaq today...

"A little bit of both. Business-wise, I felt that the Boston organization and the people of Boston treated me very, very well. I could have gotten a little minor surgery and then been out for nine months, but then we would have been in the same situation again, everybody sitting around waiting for me. So, I thought it was great business to let Danny [Ainge] go out and get some younger talent."

Added O'Neal: "I didn't want to let the people of Boston down two years in a row."

Asked if he's 100 percent certain that he will stay retired, Shaq coyly replied: "For now, yes (WEEI)."

If that wasn't enough here is what Ainge had to say...

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge isn't sure if Shaq's done playing in the NBA.

"Oh, I don't know," Ainge told the Boston Herald. "I don't know. I would not say that. I mean, hopefully Shaq can get his body healthy and then reconsider."

Ainge then added, "I can tell you that even if he's still out when we start next year, he's a guy I'll be making a phone call to at some time during the season. But I believe what he's saying now is real (ESPN)."

Is it just me or does this sound like a perfect situation for a comeback?

Sit back and think about it. The Celtics are a top seed next year in the East. It's KG's Allen's, and Jermaine's last year with the Celtics. The last run for the old guys. Just before the playoffs start. Suddenly like a hurricane Big Old Shaq comes through the door to give them the final piece. One last time for an era that is ending. Playoffs start... Old vs. Young. Sounds like a movie right? Shaq loves movies. What a better way for him to go out, and trust me that's just how Shaq thinks (plus it sounds like Ainge is on board).

I just think with all the "not wanting to let down Boston again", and how he "really enjoyed his time here", listening to all of that makes me think he is coming back. Sure, you can point out that I bought into Sheed coming back, but there is a difference here. The Celtics LIKE Shaq.

Shaq/Jermaine Back By April 1st? (UPDATED)

Here is the latest injury updates for Shaq, and Jermaine....

Shaquille O'Neal has not played since Feb. 1 due to a sore right Achilles tendon. His rehab is going well and the Celtics are targeting a return around April 1 to the active roster.Peter May for ESPNBoston.com writes: "A team source on Wednesday said that O'Neal is mending and on schedule for a return by April 1. That would give him two weeks to get reacquainted with the teammates he left -- and acquainted with the five new teammates with whom he has yet to play."

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed that O'Neal is making progress with his knee and he's on schedule to return soon. "It could be next week, which is about what we hoped for -- the end of the month," Ainge told the Boston Herald. "He looks good. I watched him go through his workouts (ESPN)."

Reports say that Jeramine has lost about 12 pounds during his rehab and has not had any swelling in the knee, which is a great sign. We have also been hearing all along that Shaq looks a lot slimmer. Shaq is obviously the more important piece to all this. The Celtics need his big body in the middle, and I believe his strong offensive play for about 15 mins a game could really help out this stagnant offense. When both these guys come back it looks like Jeramine will be the 3rd center behind Shaq and Krstic, which is where I would want him anyways.

Hey, at least he can't be any worse then Troy Murphy.


***UPDATE***

"Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com reports O'Neal had a cortisone shot in his right foot on Tuesday. Even though O'Neal was wearing a protective walking boot on Wednesday, the Celtics still expect him to return to the starting lineup next week (ESPN)."

I don't like the sound of that at all.

Shaq Injury Update

"Shaq has now missed six consecutive games due to the inflamed Achilles and 16 overall this season from various injuries. He wore a boot on his right foot Sunday and appears unlikely to be activated before the Celtics get to the All-Star break.

"No surgery," Ainge told the Boston Herald. "The problem is that often you don't know the timetable with injuries. It's just that his Achilles is really bothering him right now (ESPN)."

The good news here is that he doesn't need surgery, but I wouldn't expect Shaq back right after the All-Star break either. During the Heat/Celtics game yesterday there were reports that Shaq is still walking around in a boot. The Celtics obviously could use him back with Erden and O'Neal still out, but they have to stay focused on the big picture and the big picture is the Celtics need Shaq in April not in February.

Celtics' Walking Wounded

The Celtics bench is the walking wounded right now. First, let's start with the good news. Delonte sounds like he will be back either Sunday or Wednesday. Doc said whatever game he does come back he will likely only play 10 mins, but Doc would like to get Delonte a game before the All-Star break.

There isn't much news on Shaq. His Achilles is still acting up and there is basically no shot we seem him until after the break. Nate Robinson had to leave the game last night with a bruised right knee. He is expected to have an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury. That one really hurts, because until Delonte is back the Celtics will have Von Wafer and Avery Bradley in the backcourt behind Rajon.

Not much news on Daniels, but ESPN is floating the rumor the Celtics might waive him, since they have a full roster and needs more healthy bodies with all these guys out. Don't be shocked if the Celtics make a move for a SF at some point...

"The bottom line is every team goes through these situations," Ainge told The Boston Globe. "Right now, I can't say anything. I have to manage our future payroll. I have to manage our team next year. There are a lot of things to weigh and there will be a lot of things that come across my desk. Just because a guy plays small forward doesn't mean he's better than the guys we have. We want to add quality to our team (ESPN)."

Garnett Injury Only "A Strained Calf"

"Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge made his weekly appearance on The Big Show on Thursday and talked about the injury status of Kevin Garnett. Garnett was forced to leave Wednesday night's game vs. the Pistons after injuring his right leg following a dunk in the first quarter. Garnett limped off the court and did not return.

There was some concern at first that this might be related to Garnett's surgically repaired knee, but Ainge told The Big Show that this injury isn't nearly as serious.

"Kevin had an MRI and a through examination today and it's the same as last night," said Ainge. "It's a muscle injury, a strained calf. It's actually the muscle just off the side of the leg, just below the knee. And it's not anything to do with his knee, which is great news. It's one of those injuries that may keep him out for a couple of weeks at the most, I would say (WEEI)."

Thank God. If KG went down for the year, or an extended period of time the Celtics would have no shot at winning it all. So far it sounds like he will miss 2 weeks, which actually might turn out to be a good thing, since he has been logging in way to many minutes. One thing that sucks is that Miami is so close, and there is a good chance now that they will pass the Celtics for 1st place in the East.

We have to be somewhat skeptical with this news though. Last time KG had an injury like this we were told it was nothing serious, but then it ended up keeping him out for the playoffs. I don't think it is the case this time, but something you have to keep in the back of your mind.

Ainge Speaks About Celtics Offseason

Danny Ainge joined the Dennis & Callahan show on WEEI this morning and he touched on many different topics...

On Rasheed Wallace's future: "Rasheed has decided he's going to retire."

On losing Tony Allen to the Grizzlies: "Tony wanted to expand his career, play a bigger role, show that he could do more than just play defense."

On the possibility of signing Shaquille O'Neal: "We have had conversations with the Cavs and with Shaquille [about a sign-and-trade]. ... That door hasn't been completely slammed, although it's very unlikely now that we've signed Jermaine O'Neal."

On the LeBron James decision show: "It was over the top. It was too much. I think he should have told it to the Cavaliers well beforehand. ... It was not fun to watch and see. I didn't really enjoy the dance show the day or two after, celebrating in Miami."

On Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's harsh comments toward LeBron: "I think they were inappropriate. I don't think it was the right way to handle it, either."

On the new-look Heat: "Three of the top 10 players in the league, including two of the top three -- that's going to be a tough team to handle. ... I think that team is the team to beat."

Wow, that is a lot of information. Finally we can clear the air with a lot of the rumors we have been reading. All the stuff about Wallace coming back seem to be false. It sounds like the Shaq to Celtics won't happen either, which I think I'm glad about.

A lot of what I have been reading lately is the Celtics were none too happy about Tony Allen leaving. It sounds like the Celtics offered a very similar deal, but Allen wanted to be more then just a role player. Well, have fun in Memphis Tony.

As for the stuff about the Heat, who the fuck cares. I hope that whole city goes underwater.

NBA Fines Ainge 25K

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Thursday for tossing a towel to try and distract Cavaliers forward J.J. Hickson as he shot a free throw.

We have already been over this, so I am going to keep this short. I think this is fucking stupid. All he did was support his team. He was in the stands like any other fan, and fans wouldn't get in trouble for this, so neither should he. Was it unprofessional? Probably, but who the fuck cares. It is just great to see management actually cares about his team rather then just the money side of it. Fuck the NBA for this, but it isn't just them. All the sports seem to be going to far...

MLB - going after coaches for non uniforms
NFL - No fun league. Celebration rules. Coaches can't wear suits, ect.
NBA - Can get into the game if your connected with the team.
NHL - I got nothing off the top of my head, but I am sure they have some stupid rule too.

Anyways, it is a game. Lighten up.

Danny Ainge Is The Man

If you look under the basket you see Danny Ainge throwing a towel in the air trying to distract JJ Hickson of the Cavs. A lot of people say this is poor judgment and gay, I believe this is awesome. Other than Mark Cuban you would never see any other higher up act this way, it means they really care about the team. There is nothing in the rule book that says you can't do it, so why not?

Ainge is the man, the Cavs are gay.

Celtics Contact Michael Finley

Sources are saying that the Celtics have reached out to former Spur Michael Finely...

"They know we have interest," said GM Danny Ainge. "They've expressed some interest. They're weighing their options now."

Translation...We want him, but he hasn't made up his fucking mind yet.

I hope they get Finley, because he would give the Celtics another scoring off the bench, and even if you think he isn't that great, what is the harm of signing him? The Celtics have the open roster spots, and any deal will just be for the rest of the season, so I think it would be a great signing.

But, the ball is in his court, and the Celtics are just going to have to wait and see what he decides.

Allen Feels Good After Talk With Ainge

Over the past couple of weeks there have been a lot of trade rumors surrounding Ray Allen. Ainge began to worry that this would affect Ray Allen, so he called him in for a sit down meeting to clear the air. Ainge told Allen that he had not placed any calls in regard to trading him, and most of the rumors are just being started by the media, and representatives of other teams.

Unless they can get top dollar for Allen I don't think they should trade him. He is my favorite player on the team, and would hate to see him go. So, unless they can get a young player with the skill of Allen then it is not worth it, since Allen is in the last year of his deal and this could be the greatest free agent class of all-time.

Ainge Not Looking To Make Any Roster Moves

There were reports that the Celtics were making moves to get Nate Robinson, but Ainge sees to have changed his tone...

"I really feel like we have good chemistry," Ainge tells The Boston Globe. "I just feel like we have been experiencing some of the problems I worried about at the beginning of the season. We haven't been healthy this year and I feel like we're going to be. It just happens that we put it on cruise control a little bit too often. But I think that our team is very talented and we have a good mix of players. We're not going to make changes just to make changes," Ainge added."

Obviously he would never just come out and state that the teams needs an overhaul, but I think you are going to hear a lot of rumors up until the trade deadline. In the end, I agree with what Ainge is saying. The talent is there, and I am not buying that they are all suddenly over-the-hill. Boston needs to get healthy, and they need to bring some enthusiasm to their game. Having Garnett back should help, but I put more of this on Doc. He needs to step up and get this team out of this slump.

Glen Davis Injury Not Serious?

"Celtics vice president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Tuesday afternoon that he doesn't believe the sprained right ankle suffered by Glen "Big Baby" Davis is as serious as first feared. Davis got mixed up with Golden State's Rony Turiaf with 9:52 left in the game when Turiaf landed on his ankle.

Davis left Oracle in arena wearing a protective boot and walking with crutches.

"I haven't heard anything, which means nothing is serious," Ainge said. "I sent (trainer) Eddie (Lacerte) a text and I haven't heard anything and usually that means it's not much (Boston.com)."

I don't know how much we can read into this, but it certainly sounds a lot more promising then it did yesterday. I believe Davis to be the key to the 2nd unit for the Celtics, and they can't afford to lose him for too long. Hopefully Ainge is right and Davis will be back soon. We'll keep you posted...

Ainge Worried About Garnett

"Danny Ainge has seen the same red flags as everyone else when watching Kevin Garnett – the limp down the floor in New York on Sunday, the prolonged grimace after absorbing a kick to his surgically-repaired knee Friday against Orlando, the general lack of explosiveness in KG’s game. But the Celtics [team stats] personnel chief still believes progress is being made in Garnett’s recovery and return to the floor.

“His surgery has healed, but he’s had discomfort in his shins,’’ said Ainge, who holds weekly meetings with Garnett and team physician Dr. Brian McKeon. “KG wouldn’t be playing right now if he wasn’t confident. And he wouldn’t be playing if he was hurt.’’

The lack of explosiveness in Garnett’s game is apparent to all involved.

“I’ve seen explosiveness there, and also a lack of explosiveness, and we’ll keep evaluating him,’’ said Ainge. “Dr. McKeon watches him, our trainer (Ed Lacerte) watches him, and I think we all know what we’re dealing with.’’

Garnett has been irritated by the scrutiny over his injury, and following Monday’s practice cut an interview with the media short after repeated questions (Boston Herald)."

This is concerning. I don't think Boston fully knows what is wrong with Garnett, and you have to question if he will ever be the player he once was. I think at some point in the season you will see KG go on the shelf, this might not be a bad thing as they will try to save him as much as they can for the playoffs. This will all be made a lot easier once Big Baby return to the court.

Garnett Injury Update

"Without Kevin Garnett in the 2009 Playoffs, the then-defending champion Boston Celtics struggled to get past Chicago in seven games before losing to the Orlando Magic in seven in the conference semis. Had they had KG? Who knows? But according to Y! Sports' Marc Spears, Garnett has been working out at the Celtics Waltham, Mass. facility and the reviews are in. Boston GM Danny Ainge gives Garnett a thumbs up.

"We're looking for him to be there at the end of the season, not just the start of the season," Ainge said. "We're getting him ready for training camp and looking forward to him being healthy in the playoffs. He looks good. Really good (ESPN)."

Everything sounds good on the KG front, but expect the Celtics to rest KG a lot more this year, so that he will be ready for the playoffs. We all know the regular season means very little in the NBA, and with the Celtics adding Wallace, and bringing back big Baby they will have some good options off the bench. His numbers may take a dive this year, but all that really matters is he is 100% come playoff time...

Celtics Put Pruitt On Waivers

"The Celtics have placed guard Gabe Pruitt on waivers after choosing not to pick up the option year on his contract. Pruitt, who played in 47 games last season, was projected as a backup for starting point guard Rajon Rondo, but was relegated to a bit role after the February acquisition of Stephon Marbury. "We like Gabe but he was not going to get a chance to play much with Marquis (Daniels) coming in," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. "He has a bright future and this will give him a chance to play elsewhere (Boston.com)."

DP reported that this was most likely going to happen this week. Basically Gabe is gone. It will be interesting to see if he gets picked up by another team at some point. My guess is that he will. I am still waiting to see if the Celtics sign Lester Hudson, who they drafted this year...

Ainge's Son To Coach Maine Red Claws

"Austin Ainge, the son of Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, was named the coach of the first-year Maine Red Claws of the NBA’s Development League today. The Red Claws are the D-League affiliate of the Celtics and Charlotte Bobcats. The 27-year-old Ainge, who was a scout for the Celtics, was introduced by Red Claws president and general manager Jon Jennings, a former assistant coach for the Celtics when the elder Ainge was a player (Boston Herald)."

Must be nice to have a dad that is the head of a professional basketball team. Hey Red Sox I am still available as a Scout/GM........just putting out there......

Ainge Confirms Celtics' Interest In Hill (UPDATED)

"President of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed that Phoenix free agent Grant Hill is on the Celtics’ wish list. “We have interest in him,’’ said Ainge, who could offer Hill a $1.9 biannual-exception contract (Boston.com)."

Hill met with the Knicks yesterday, and they can give him a lot more money then the Celtics can. That being said the Celtics can give Hill a legit shot at winning a title. So, it is really going to come down to what is important to Hill. Does he want 1 more big pay day, or does he want a shot at a championship. We'll keep you updated...


***UPDATE***

"The New York Knicks have offered forward Grant Hill a one-year contract worth a portion of the team’s mid-level exception, the New York Post reports (Sporting News)."

From what I am reading Hill is very interesting in the Knicks. Why? I have no idea, so I guess it is about money. Hill would have to take a serious pay cut to stay with the Celtics.

Ainge On Lester Hudson

Big Baby Gets Qualifying Offer From Celtics

"Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed Monday the team will make a qualifying offer to forward Glen Davis. By virtue of that, if another NBA team were to sign Davis, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet, Boston would have seven days to match it (Boston.com)."

I wrote about this yesterday. This is the obvious first step in trying to bring Davis back to the Celtics. It could be tough depending on how other teams around the NBA look at Davis. On one hand he is an undersized forward, who as limited experience, but on the other hand he averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in the postseason and could be on the verge of a breakout season.

Ainge and Rivers on Rondo

It's been a wild couple of days on the Rajon Rondo Watch and Celtics president Danny Ainge would like to make a couple of things perfectly clear:

"People are trying to make Rondo into a Manny situation," Ainge told The Boston Globe last night. "All I said was that he needs to work on his leadership skills, he can't be late for a playoff game, and he needs to mature as far as competing on a consistent basis. I'd said all that before.

"All those trade rumors are just a bunch of bull. I'm not trading Rondo."

# Accoring to the Boston Herald, Doc Rivers sounded confident that Rondo and Ray Allen weren't going anywhere.

"Oh yeah, absolutely," said Rivers. "I have no doubt about that. There's always the chance someone could get traded, but it would have to be an amazing deal. But I like our team."

I knew it. I knew they weren't going to get rid of Rondo and this was just a message, to the young guy to adjust his attitude. If you are trying to sell someone, you don't bash him. They were simply trying to get in his head.