Powe-tition

[KG]

I love Powe, and hope he's back with the C's by mid-season.  I'd sign the Powetition.

[BoundingRounder]

Dear Mr. Ainge and Mr. Grousbeck,

I, the undersigned, was disturbed to hear the stories that Leon Powe will not be resigned due to the knee injury he suffered in the first round of this year's playoffs. If true, I believe that this decision - while it may have some economic merit - is a classless move by an organization that has represented class in the NBA since its inception.

Mr. Powe is an inspiration on many levels. Whether it is the tireless work and toughness that he brings to the basketball court, the adversity that he has overcome to be the man he is today, or the work he does to support his community, Mr. Powe demonstrates what a professional should be.

As a lifelong Celtics fan, I urge the two of you to see beyond the dollars and cents of the moment. Demonstrating such crude business skills with a man who - from all reports I have heard - is a well-respected member of the Boston Celtics and who has a devoted following within the fanbase will have large consequences moving forward. How do you expect us fans and Celtics players to reciprocate loyalty, when you are not making the effort to extend it to one of the NBA's true warriors?

If it stands, the Celtics treatment of Leon Powe will be a black eye on the organization.

With concern,

Rayray4mvp
BBS
vwoodruff
winsomme
Drucci
supamike
scalablob990
jimmyt
dirtyeggs
BoundingRounder

[vwoodruff]

TPs all around! It's almost to 500. Jeff, can you get this to Wyc?

The comments from Leon in today's papers are what I sensed was the issue. I hope it's a misunderstanding, but dude is up for a 1 year contract at the minimum? No brainer...

[winsomme]

TPs all around! It's almost to 500. Jeff, can you get this to Wyc?

The comments from Leon in today's papers are what I sensed was the issue. I hope it's a misunderstanding, but dude is up for a 1 year contract at the minimum? No brainer...

where are the quotes from Leon today?

[FLCeltsFan]

They are in the Contra Costa Times

http://www.contracostatimes.com/college-sports/ci_12737603

I also copied them out and put them in my article on LOY's Place

http://celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2009/07/things-are-heating-up.html

[screwedupmaniac]

The Boston Celtics is a team based on brotherhood rather then business (or at least it used to be...) this organization is well known for being one, if not the only, team that will always give loyalty to most of it's players.

People keep saying that this is a business, if it really is then why didn't Red get rid of the three "washed up" (as Ainge likes to say) players he had in the 80's aka Mchale,Parish, and Bird? I think Red would have said something if he was still around today about matter. Ainge's theory of their is not one player on this team who isn't safe from being traded is pure bull.

I became a fan of the Celts because of the loyalty they show to their players, it's the main factor that separates them from all the other teams in the league. Getting rid of Leon is like "Tony Battie part II" but way worse since Powe was a better player.

There is a vast difference between what the Big 3 contributed to here, and to what Leon contributed. I love his heart, and I love underdog stories, but this kid's already had knee problems in the past, and for us to use a roster spot for what could end up being a year long recovery is just ridiculous.

If it's always been all about brotherhood, then why did Red trade Cedric Maxwell? hmm...last i checked, Boston's always been about championships...brotherhood and every other good thing comes second to that.

Come on people, we need to stop wearing our hearts on our sleeves and move on. Trust our management's decision...if Leon can make a comeback someday, I'm sure he will.

Question: would you have chosen to keep our 24-57 roster in tact in the name of "brotherhood" over trading them away for our current roster and Banner 17? championships...that's all that matters at the end of the day.

[winsomme]

There is a vast difference between what the Big 3 contributed to here, and to what Leon contributed. I love his heart, and I love underdog stories, but this kid's already had knee problems in the past, and for us to use a roster spot for what could end up being a year long recovery is just ridiculous.

again, how is it ridiculous to give a minimum contract to Leon? You can only have 12 guys on the active roster.

and if it turns out you absolutely need the spot due to injuries during the season or Leon absolutely has no chance of returning, then just like last season with Cassell, you release him.

This idea that we absolutely need a player that can play from day one of the season in the 15th roster spot is totally specious...

[Scalablob990]

There is a vast difference between what the Big 3 contributed to here, and to what Leon contributed. I love his heart, and I love underdog stories, but this kid's already had knee problems in the past, and for us to use a roster spot for what could end up being a year long recovery is just ridiculous.

again, how is it ridiculous to give a minimum contract to Leon? You can only have 12 guys on the active roster.

and if it turns out you absolutely need the spot due to injuries during the season or Leon absolutely has no chance of returning, then just like last season with Cassell, you release him.

This idea that we absolutely need a player that can play from day one of the season in the 15th roster spot is totally specious...

Powe will comeback fast from the injury and he's only going to get better. Why not cut one of the real WORTHLESS players off our roster. I'm quite sure Leon has to be the leading double double guy off the bench. When was the last time TA or Scalapig accomplished that?  A minimum contract is all the kid wants, and they can't spare it?

Busniess or not, the guy played 3 MINUTES on a torn ACL because he knew if he went back to the bench it was all over for him. Now when he thinks his "friends" are going to protect him from getting booted out, he gets thrown under the bus by the management? Come on this is cut-throat to do, Red would not condone this in the least. The man has more drive to be better then even Pierce, he's a real rags to riches character. Give the guy the minimum and make everyone happy.

[screwedupmaniac]

again, how is it ridiculous to give a minimum contract to Leon? You can only have 12 guys on the active roster.

and if it turns out you absolutely need the spot due to injuries during the season or Leon absolutely has no chance of returning, then just like last season with Cassell, you release him.

This idea that we absolutely need a player that can play from day one of the season in the 15th roster spot is totally specious...

Look at our current roster and tell me how the heck you guys plan on filling out the wholes in our roster via FA if we don't have available roster spots. i already explained our situation, and no one's answered me yet:

everyone's always complaining about how we need veteran help, and then they turn around and say we're too old, let's get young projects...we have 15 spots...and after last years numerous injuries, we've learned how crappy it is to have even just 1 of those 15 spots filled up with guys who can't play (walker, pruitt, giddens, moore). and now we're just swapping moore for hudson, and you want to add powe to that list? that puts us at only 5 bench players we can actually safely USE, 2 of those 5 spots being currently taken by tony allen and scalabrine. that leaves us with currently 1 decent reserve in eddie house and 2 roster spots to fill. are you guys seriously saying you'll be content with picking up only two FAs for the bench this year? an 8 man rotation doesn't contain enough depth and security for me.

as stated above, count me out.

how do you plan on staying competitive with a farm team of a bench?? everyone's getting better, and you are all suggesting we get worse. Yeah, Leon will probably come back the end of February, but how long after that til he plays at 100% again, if he ever DOES play 100%?? knee injuries are serious stuff, and not something to use a limited roster spot on. not to mention the fact that we all value the LLE and want to use it on a FA steal...how can we do that if we use some of that on Leon?

[Scalablob990]

How about Danny grows a pair and clears the roster spots that TA, Scal, or Giddens are currently holding? I'd rather have a half year injured Powe over ANY of that trash.

[Clutch Theory]

Im with you on that mate.

[winsomme]

Rondo
Ray
Paul
KG
Perk

Eddie
Walker
Hill
Baby
Sheed

TA
JR
Scals
Hudson
Leon

and if you need an extra spot later in the season and Leon can't come back, you can release him because he's only on a minimum contract.

where's the problem?

[screwedupmaniac]

How about Danny grows a pair and clears the roster spots that TA, Scal, or Giddens are currently holding? I'd rather have a half year injured Powe over ANY of that trash.

Those contracts (plus eddie's if needed) are all expiring and will be crucial for us picking up a guy like nocioni at the trade deadline.

Rondo
Ray
Paul
KG
Perk

Eddie
Walker
Hill
Baby
Sheed

TA
JR
Scals
Hudson
Leon

and if you need an extra spot later in the season and Leon can't come back, you can release him because he's only on a minimum contract.

where's the problem?

once again, where's the money for grant hill coming from? we used most of the LLE on powe, and sheed took the full mid level (hypothetically).

and you promise you won't be crying about eddie being the backup PG halfway through the regular season?

what happens if pierce or hill get injured? Walker is not the answer.

we're just hoping a team like detroit doesn't spend too much on baby, or we won't match, and there's a vacant spot with no money to fill.

has sheed signed here yet?

this list is a best case assumption, and as unfun as it is to do, GM's have to plan for the worst. danny didn't do that last year and took crap from us for not assembling a decent bench...there's no way in heck he's gonna let us go into the season with no bench and roster limitations again.

it hurts to lose a fan favorite, but danny is doing us and the franchise a favor. i WOULD like to see us pick powe back up after he's all healed if there's room, but until then, we need healthy talented bodies, because perfect health is not guaranteed (see last year).

[winsomme]

How about Danny grows a pair and clears the roster spots that TA, Scal, or Giddens are currently holding? I'd rather have a half year injured Powe over ANY of that trash.

Those contracts (plus eddie's if needed) are all expiring and will be crucial for us picking up a guy like nocioni at the trade deadline.

Rondo
Ray
Paul
KG
Perk

Eddie
Walker
Hill
Baby
Sheed

TA
JR
Scals
Hudson
Leon

and if you need an extra spot later in the season and Leon can't come back, you can release him because he's only on a minimum contract.

where's the problem?

once again, where's the money for grant hill coming from? we used most of the LLE on powe, and sheed took the full mid level (hypothetically).

and you promise you won't be crying about eddie being the backup PG halfway through the regular season?

what happens if pierce or hill get injured? Walker is not the answer.

we're just hoping a team like detroit doesn't spend too much on baby, or we won't match, and there's a vacant spot with no money to fill.

has sheed signed here yet?

this list is a best case assumption, and as unfun as it is to do, GM's have to plan for the worst. danny didn't do that last year and took crap from us for not assembling a decent bench...there's no way in heck he's gonna let us go into the season with no bench and roster limitations again.

it hurts to lose a fan favorite, but danny is doing us and the franchise a favor. i WOULD like to see us pick powe back up after he's all healed if there's room, but until then, we need healthy talented bodies, because perfect health is not guaranteed (see last year).

First off, as has been discussed and illuminated in other threads, we still have Bird Rights on Leon (a question i had initially too). So we are not using LLE to sign Leon.

as for the rest of your critiques (ie not getting Sheed or Hill, etc), I'm not sure what they have to do with Leon taking up a roster spot.

you wanted to know if we had ROSTER SPOTS to fill the holes we have on our bench, and i think it's pretty clear that we can sign Leon and still have the spots to put together a tremendous bench.

whether or not Sheed or Hill decide to sign here has nothing to do with Leon... all I'm showing is that the spots are there for them. If it's not Hill or Sheed, it will be someone else, but the spots will be there.

[kenmaine]

How about Danny grows a pair and clears the roster spots that TA, Scal, or Giddens are currently holding? I'd rather have a half year injured Powe over ANY of that trash.

Great post, except that Scal isn't trash. But I agree with your sentiment. Ainge gave a contract to TA, who had two devastating knee injuries AND sucks, so IMO letting Leon sit on the bench and get paid minimum salary for a year is worth a gamble, because he will work his ass off to get back, and if he makes a full recovery, he's a very good, productive player.
And the posters who are so worried about wasting a roster spot- you're crazy. When did the 12th player on a roster ever matter? We have at least two(some would say four or five) pieces of garbage there right now.
This is just a very cold and ugly way of doing business.