Sam Smith: Taj Gibson for Rudy Fernandez offered (It's in Portland's hands)

[ScoobyDoo]

If Portland were offered Taj Gibson for Rudy Fernandez they would not have gotten off the phone until the deal was signed and they'd received an email copy of the completed contract in their inbox.

Rudy will be leaving Portland - Taj would be a great big to mix in with Aldridge, Camby and Oden. He's exactly the type of energy guy they need.

Portland should be careful about palying too much Poker or they may not end up with a place to ship him to get something before he bolts.

Regarding Big Baby, I think he's highly underrated. He's no superstar but he has a couple of very unique skills and assets in the NBA.

1. 6' 9", 290 lbs ( only about 3-4 guys in the league with that type of strength & space eating skills)
2. NBA Motor like a hummingbird's wings
3. Very high Basketball IQ
4. Quick feet
5. Huge heart and loves the limelight
6. All the above means he can, in the right situations, guard C, PF and even slower SF's

Big Baby's biggest draw back thus far has been not fully understanding how to use the size of his body to help prevent getting blocked so much. But if you watched him closely, each year he's getting a little  bit better at using his body and the rim to get blocked less.

I would not be eager to trade this guy any time soon.

He may well never be a starter even, but a great energy guy off your bench for years to come. You bet.

Just pari him with another guy off the bench who has better length when that issue is hurting Baby. Be able to take him out and put someone like Jermaine O'Neal in when necessary...

That's all.

I also think we absolutely need him in the mix of our aged group of big men this year.     

[hpantazo]

It looks like Gibson is not (and probably never was) part of any offer for Rudy (per Mark Stein ESPN.com):
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/18798/what-next-for-t-mac

"In one of its proposals to Portland, sources said, Chicago has offered to absorb Fernandez's modest $1.25 million salary for next season with cap space in exchange for a future first-round pick.

Sources say Portland, however, has believed that it can do better in a Fernandez deal and is holding out for more, even though New York also balked at the Blazers' demands this week and elected to sign Roger Mason to a bargain one-year deal at the veteran minimum of $1.4 million.

It’s widely assumed that the Blazers want Taj Gibson back from the Bulls, but sources say Chicago is not about to include Gibson in Fernandez talks. James Johnson is the best young player Chicago has made available.

The Oregonian reported last week that the Knicks and Celtics were the other teams, besides Chicago, chasing Fernandez hardest, but we’ll have to see how choosy Portland intends to be from here. "

Like I said earlier, the report that Gibson was offered was likely BS. The blazers would have already made the deal if it were true.

[Celtics4ever]

I agree Big Baby is a freak athlete for his size but c'mon is he really 6'9"?  I think he is shorter.  He is 6'7" almost 6'8" without shoes.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/glen-davis-420/

Sometimes it doesn't look like he is over 6'8".

[snively]

I agree Big Baby is a freak athlete for his size but c'mon is he really 6'9"?  I think he is shorter.  He is 6'7" almost 6'8" without shoes.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/glen-davis-420/

Sometimes it doesn't look like he is over 6'8".

Height in shoes is the NBA standard.  Hence John Wall, while measured at 6'2.75 barefoot will be listed at 6'4 in the NBA.

[snively]

So the Celtics signed Wafer, the Knicks signed Roger Mason Jr and the Bulls signed Bogans.

Mason and Bogans are both established vets with more extensive resumes and nothing like the baggage Wafer's bringing in.  It makes sense that the Celtics would now be the most aggressive of the original 3 suitors.

Bringing in Rudy allows Wafer to be insurance, not the 3rd or 4th wing, which is what his partially guaranteed minimum contract would indicate the Celtics would desire his role to be.

I think Rudy would make a fine complement to Nate and Shaq with his unselfish style and off-ball skill-set and he'd be a great fill-in for Ray with the starters.

[jc3celticsphan]

Rudy is going to the twolves to join my boi ricky rubio its my gut feeling

[nickagneta]

I think the Wafer signing probably meant the end of Rudy to Boston. Daniels is a 2 guard that can play some SF but is probably better suited at the 2. Wafer is a pure shooting guard. Bradley, at least for now, is a combo guard, Nate is a PG who with the right partner in the back court could play the 2 if absolutely necessary.

Rudy Fernandez is a shooting guard as well.

The Celtics need a defensive oriented role playing SF or finesse PF that can guard SFs. Rasheed's contract, I believe will eventually fulfill that spot.

Rudy, I think should be scratched from people's radar.

[Tai]

Can someone please tell me where in that mailbag that it was said that Taj Gibson was offered by Chicago for Rudy? Cause that's a pretty big mailbag... 

[snively]

I think the Wafer signing probably meant the end of Rudy to Boston. Daniels is a 2 guard that can play some SF but is probably better suited at the 2. Wafer is a pure shooting guard. Bradley, at least for now, is a combo guard, Nate is a PG who with the right partner in the back court could play the 2 if absolutely necessary.

Rudy Fernandez is a shooting guard as well.

The Celtics need a defensive oriented role playing SF or finesse PF that can guard SFs. Rasheed's contract, I believe will eventually fulfill that spot.

Rudy, I think should be scratched from people's radar.

I think you are over-estimating Danny's confidence in Wafer.  He's signed to a partially guaranteed minimum deal and was told he was gone if he screwed up.  I think you are also underestimating the Celtics willingness to go small if the talent is better that way.  This is a team that has played Eddie House as a 2 guard and Ray as a 3 for extended periods in big games.

I don't think Danny's going to turn down any talent upgrades at this point.  Fernandez is a surer bet than Wafer and Daniels to play the whole season and contribute.  He's also a good candidate to replace Ray in the near future.

 

[Tai]

I think the Wafer signing probably meant the end of Rudy to Boston. Daniels is a 2 guard that can play some SF but is probably better suited at the 2. Wafer is a pure shooting guard. Bradley, at least for now, is a combo guard, Nate is a PG who with the right partner in the back court could play the 2 if absolutely necessary.

Rudy Fernandez is a shooting guard as well.

The Celtics need a defensive oriented role playing SF or finesse PF that can guard SFs. Rasheed's contract, I believe will eventually fulfill that spot.

Rudy, I think should be scratched from people's radar.

I think you are over-estimating Danny's confidence in Wafer.  He's signed to a partially guaranteed minimum deal and was told he was gone if he screwed up.  I think you are also underestimating the Celtics willingness to go small if the talent is better that way.  This is a team that has played Eddie House as a 2 guard and Ray as a 3 for extended periods in big games.

I don't think Danny's going to turn down any talent upgrades at this point.  Fernandez is a surer bet than Wafer and Daniels to play the whole season and contribute.  He's also a good candidate to replace Ray in the near future.

 

Just curious, but was Wafer really told that if he screwed or he was gone, or do we just assume that cause only 150k of his contract is guaranteed?

[snively]

I think the Wafer signing probably meant the end of Rudy to Boston. Daniels is a 2 guard that can play some SF but is probably better suited at the 2. Wafer is a pure shooting guard. Bradley, at least for now, is a combo guard, Nate is a PG who with the right partner in the back court could play the 2 if absolutely necessary.

Rudy Fernandez is a shooting guard as well.

The Celtics need a defensive oriented role playing SF or finesse PF that can guard SFs. Rasheed's contract, I believe will eventually fulfill that spot.

Rudy, I think should be scratched from people's radar.

I think you are over-estimating Danny's confidence in Wafer.  He's signed to a partially guaranteed minimum deal and was told he was gone if he screwed up.  I think you are also underestimating the Celtics willingness to go small if the talent is better that way.  This is a team that has played Eddie House as a 2 guard and Ray as a 3 for extended periods in big games.

I don't think Danny's going to turn down any talent upgrades at this point.  Fernandez is a surer bet than Wafer and Daniels to play the whole season and contribute.  He's also a good candidate to replace Ray in the near future.

 

Just curious, but was Wafer really told that if he screwed or he was gone, or do we just assume that cause only 150k of his contract is guaranteed?

I read that in the interview Von Wafer gave right after his signing.  Paraphrased of course.

[nickagneta]

I think the Wafer signing probably meant the end of Rudy to Boston. Daniels is a 2 guard that can play some SF but is probably better suited at the 2. Wafer is a pure shooting guard. Bradley, at least for now, is a combo guard, Nate is a PG who with the right partner in the back court could play the 2 if absolutely necessary.

Rudy Fernandez is a shooting guard as well.

The Celtics need a defensive oriented role playing SF or finesse PF that can guard SFs. Rasheed's contract, I believe will eventually fulfill that spot.

Rudy, I think should be scratched from people's radar.

I think you are over-estimating Danny's confidence in Wafer.  He's signed to a partially guaranteed minimum deal and was told he was gone if he screwed up.  I think you are also underestimating the Celtics willingness to go small if the talent is better that way.  This is a team that has played Eddie House as a 2 guard and Ray as a 3 for extended periods in big games.

I don't think Danny's going to turn down any talent upgrades at this point.  Fernandez is a surer bet than Wafer and Daniels to play the whole season and contribute.  He's also a good candidate to replace Ray in the near future.

 

I think you are seriously over-estimating the talent level of Rudy Fernandez if you see him as a long term starting solution after Ray Allen is gone. He is a good rotational type bench player at best.

[Tai]

Ohhhhh. He said that? Alright, cool. Thanks. : )

Anyways, I generally agree with you on this situation with Rudy, snively; Bogans and Mason Jr were in the NBA last year and each played 79 games for the Spurs while averaging around 20 min; the Knicks and Bulls probably have a better idea of who they're getting with those guys than the Celtics are with Wafer. That's already a significant enough difference between them and Wafer to think the Celtics probably want Rudy the most, or at least has the best deal on the table for Portland.

[snively]

I think the Wafer signing probably meant the end of Rudy to Boston. Daniels is a 2 guard that can play some SF but is probably better suited at the 2. Wafer is a pure shooting guard. Bradley, at least for now, is a combo guard, Nate is a PG who with the right partner in the back court could play the 2 if absolutely necessary.

Rudy Fernandez is a shooting guard as well.

The Celtics need a defensive oriented role playing SF or finesse PF that can guard SFs. Rasheed's contract, I believe will eventually fulfill that spot.

Rudy, I think should be scratched from people's radar.

I think you are over-estimating Danny's confidence in Wafer.  He's signed to a partially guaranteed minimum deal and was told he was gone if he screwed up.  I think you are also underestimating the Celtics willingness to go small if the talent is better that way.  This is a team that has played Eddie House as a 2 guard and Ray as a 3 for extended periods in big games.

I don't think Danny's going to turn down any talent upgrades at this point.  Fernandez is a surer bet than Wafer and Daniels to play the whole season and contribute.  He's also a good candidate to replace Ray in the near future.

 

I think you are seriously over-estimating the talent level of Rudy Fernandez if you see him as a long term starting solution after Ray Allen is gone. He is a good rotational type bench player at best.

Rudy's an excellent shooter, solid secondary playmaker, excellent transition player coming off of a terrible year.  He showed in his career in Europe and his rookie year with Portland that he can be a starting caliber shooting guard. 

Very similar player to latter-day Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, IMHO. 

[nickagneta]

I think the Wafer signing probably meant the end of Rudy to Boston. Daniels is a 2 guard that can play some SF but is probably better suited at the 2. Wafer is a pure shooting guard. Bradley, at least for now, is a combo guard, Nate is a PG who with the right partner in the back court could play the 2 if absolutely necessary.

Rudy Fernandez is a shooting guard as well.

The Celtics need a defensive oriented role playing SF or finesse PF that can guard SFs. Rasheed's contract, I believe will eventually fulfill that spot.

Rudy, I think should be scratched from people's radar.

I think you are over-estimating Danny's confidence in Wafer.  He's signed to a partially guaranteed minimum deal and was told he was gone if he screwed up.  I think you are also underestimating the Celtics willingness to go small if the talent is better that way.  This is a team that has played Eddie House as a 2 guard and Ray as a 3 for extended periods in big games.

I don't think Danny's going to turn down any talent upgrades at this point.  Fernandez is a surer bet than Wafer and Daniels to play the whole season and contribute.  He's also a good candidate to replace Ray in the near future.

 

I think you are seriously over-estimating the talent level of Rudy Fernandez if you see him as a long term starting solution after Ray Allen is gone. He is a good rotational type bench player at best.

Rudy's an excellent shooter, solid secondary playmaker, excellent transition player coming off of a terrible year.  He showed in his career in Europe and his rookie year with Portland that he can be a starting caliber shooting guard. 

Very similar player to latter-day Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, IMHO. 

Now you are just being silly.

Ray and Reggie are two of the best pure shooting shooting guards in the history of the league.

He is poor at going to the basket with the ball and finishing. Is defense is very much a major work in progress. He is prone to attempting(forcing) off balance ill advised shots. His mid range shooting is bad for a good outside shooter.

About the only thing he does at the same level as Ray and Reggie is move well without the ball and catch and shoot. Reggie Miller and Ray Allen were 20 PPG, 4 APG, 4 RPG accomplished All-Stars that were team leaders and first offensive weapons types because of their all around games when they were 25 years old going on 26. Rudy is far, far, far from that.