CUT Von Wafer, sign 'TOINE

[hpantazo]

Von Wafer IS a Celtic. It says so on the front of the jersey.

then someone should tell him so he can start playing like one.

[Redz]

If Wafer could learn to wiggle he'd have just as much to offer to C's as Toine.  Maybe Toine could be hired as a wigglin' consultant.

[Bahku]

Why waste a roster spot on an old washed-up Toine when future superstar GERALD GREEN is just waiting for the first GM smart enough to spring him from Russia?  

bro first off its a forum i can write whatever i want, secondly u need to chill out and calm down before u have a heart attack, ur obviously not a true celts fan, i love toine, ive been watching him since 02 every single gm, he was very fun to watch even though we werent as good as we are now he brought lots of enjoyment to my life i remember all those gm winners he had especially the one against the lakers during their 3 peat that was awesome, third r u tryna tell me toine wont benefit this team at all, he is only 34 and he can still play obviously he is ouuta shape right now that is why this is a "comeback", he is VERY experienced, he was a pretty big part of that championship team wit the heat in 06. Dont forget that pierce and tione carried the c's to the eastern conference finals, like i said he is very experienced and say we bring him back we are not asking him to play the same role he did, he can replace von wafer who i dont like at all, plus toine deserves a second chance, everyone makes mistakes, why not give him another shot he is always a celtic in my mind, wafer isn't

Because someone doesn't agree with you, does not make them any less of a "true Celtics fan", and it's not a good idea to question anyone's allegiance to this team simple because they don't agree with the idea of bringing 'Toine back. People like who they like, and are as entitled to their opinion as you are, so let's get beyond the "you're obviously not a true fan if you don't want 'Toine back" stuff.

I have been a Celtics fan for well over 40 years, followed and loved the Celts through many eras, incuding the time of Antoine's heyday. He was a big part of this team while he was here, and I've been following his progress since. I think it's great that he's playing in the D-League and seeing a bit of renaissance in his career, but he is nowhere near the NBA level, and I can't see that he ever will be again.

Kudos to him if he does, but I just don't see that he has the skills set, mobility or elevation that he did, and I think he waited a little too long to get back in shape. Nobody knows for sure, but please try not to question other people's opinions of him, or doubt their fanhood just because they don't have your level of enthusiasm when it comes to bringing 'Toine back. As you are entitled to your opinion, so are others entitled to theirs, but we are all Celtics fans here, and liking or not liking a certain player has NOTHING to do with our level of devotion to this team.

We all come here because we bleed green and love our Celtics, but that doesn't mean we're required to want to bring back every player that ever played on this team that has moved on. Sorry, but I don't think there's any room or need for "you must not be a true fan" statements. I've known Fairweatherfan for a long time, and he is as big a fan as anyone here, (including myself), he just views Antoine as far past the point of a serious return, and so do I.

This guy is getting some minutes in the D-League and that's great for him, (cuz frankly, with his baggage he didn't really deserve the shot), but he is so far from NBA-level talent it's not funny ... it's just not a realistic appraisal of what he has left in the tank.  It's great that there's such a die-hard contingent of 'Toine fans that are willing to overlook all of that baggage and lack of conditioning/production purely for the sake of loyalty to an ex-Celtic.

But the incredible amount of "Bring back 'Toine" threads over the past few years, have saturated the minds of many of us, and if the idea weren't so absurd, they might be a little easier to swallow. Either way, it makes the nay-sayers no less of Celtic fans, nor does it make the promoters any less of fans. We're all here first of all to share in the joy of our beloved team ... please let's not make divisions or question others' loyalties just because they don't agree with our opinion.

Diversity is what makes the world go 'round, but the Celtics are what bring us all to this blog. Let's try and remember that we're all on the same team here, and respect each others' views with tolerance and consideration. I loved Walker when he was here, and I've been very happy about his chance to play again in the D-League ... but I have seen nothing that would qualify him to return to the NBA level, let alone earn a roster spot on the best team in the league. Peace out.

[nickagneta]

bro first off its a forum i can write whatever i want, secondly u need to chill out and calm down before u have a heart attack, ur obviously not a true celts fan, i love toine, ive been watching him since 02 every single gm, he was very fun to watch even though we werent as good as we are now he brought lots of enjoyment to my life i remember all those gm winners he had especially the one against the lakers during their 3 peat that was awesome, third r u tryna tell me toine wont benefit this team at all, he is only 34 and he can still play obviously he is ouuta shape right now that is why this is a "comeback", he is VERY experienced, he was a pretty big part of that championship team wit the heat in 06. Dont forget that pierce and tione carried the c's to the eastern conference finals, like i said he is very experienced and say we bring him back we are not asking him to play the same role he did, he can replace von wafer who i dont like at all, plus toine deserves a second chance, everyone makes mistakes, why not give him another shot he is always a celtic in my mind, wafer isn't

First off, never question just how real a fan any person is simply because they do not agree with you. Not only is it not nice, it's against blog rules and I am certain the mods wouldn't like it.

Second, let's take a look at just what Toine is doing in the D League that warrants a promotion to the bigs. He's shooting 42% from the field and 52% from the free throw line while taking 37 of his 89 shots from three point land while making 32%. He's a PF playing 33 MPG and he is only averaging 6 rebounds per game. Sorry to say but these stats for being in the NBA would make him a greedy, shoot first, playing out of position cancer to any team's offense and undesirable. Those stats in the D League make him pathetic and not worthy of a shot at the NBA.

Third, lets look at his recent viability and desirability as an NBA player. He ate his way out of Miami. Complained his way out of Minnesota, gambled his way into a stint in the Puerto Rican league and talked his way onto a D League team. There is simply no demand for his skill set or his off the court problems in the NBA. That's why there is not one word of rumor regarding ANY team wanting his services even though many teams in the NBA absolutely suck.

Antoine's time has come and gone, as I said. Have fond memories of him. But he is in the Celtics' past much like Russell and Bird and Havlicek and DJ and Cousy and a host of other former Celtics that made people become the Celtic fans they are today.

[Celtic#9]

No.

[jax_celtsfan]

Great idea, because any time you have the chance to pick up the 29th ranked scorer in the D-League, you have to take it.

[vinnie]

I agree with one thing -- Cut Von Wafer.

[barefacedmonk]

CUT Von Wafer, sign 'TOINE

[GreenFaith1819]

Count me squarely in the "I love 'Toine" corner.

With that being said, we need to stay with Wafer. Give him a chance.

Toine was not a great defender even in his prime. Bring him in now? I don't know. Who would Toine backup? Paul? KG?

Toine always seemed like a PF to me, who played like a SF. In his prime, he created matchup problems on offense.

Now? Not sure. if we brought him in, he'd have a limited number of offensive opportunities under Doc's system. IMO, he'd be more suited for the PF role right now, and Glen has that spot locked down.

I cannot fault the "Cut Wafer" camp here, either. Once DWest returns, Wafer's minutes will probably be decreased some.

[Rondo_is_better]

I feel like Toine will have to die before these threads end.

[Bahku]

I feel like Toine will have to die before these threads end.

(TP, lol!) I wouldn't count on it, Buddy ... some will be in denial even then. There are three things in life that you can count on: Death, taxes and "Bring Back 'Toine" threads.

[PSquared]

How many "Bring back 'Toine" threads have there been now?

Counting or NOT Counting the Billions I've created in the Past? 

[jsingh1699]

antoine was great for us in the early 2000s. you know its amazing what jim o brien did with the team he had. we need to give him some serious props for making us a force in 2002.

somebody touched upon this, while its a great idea to bring toine back, it wont work from the simple standpoint that at this point in his career, he has to play PF. if he was in enough shape to play the SF, you could possibly make the case he would be a great backup for pierce for 5-10 min per night, while being able to play the point forward for our second unit (letting nate go nuts on the shooting side).

but because hes a lot older and not in good shape, he wont be fast enough to guard SFs. once our bigs are healthy, big baby will own the PF spot. in fact, baby will see some of his minutes go down once the o'neals and perk are healthy. walker will get zero time and wont solve any of our needs at that point.

id love to have toine back, but our need is for a wing who can keep up with SFs. but im all for cutting wafer.

[Redz]

I feel like Toine will have to die before these threads end.

then the "Reincarnate Toine" threads will start

[Meangreen Machine]

I am currently a season ticket holder for the Maine Red Claws. I have courtside seats and sit to the right of the basket. They are great seats and I get to see things that most people cannot see. AW looked pretty good on the floor. He still has a great court sense. His passing was excellent and he makes many of his team look better then they really are. His leg are still are not 100% but with some consistent conditining they could return. His constant complaining to the refs is his major downfall. With the new NBA rules he would definetly be hit with many technicals fouls. But, that same mouth also knows how to extertain and comunicate with fans at courtside. Could he help the celtics? Perhaps, but Danny Ainge was at neither game. This may be a sign that bad blood is still going on between the two. Honestly, I like to see it happen, but only if he plays down low and rebounds and passes as well as he did during the red claws games.