Apologies for the topic, but trying to add a comment on the other topics tonight is like working with a stone tablet and a chisel.
Poor Ainge can't win. This site blew up the night he traded Jeff Green for Ray Allen, and it blew up today when he reacquired him.
I'm 100 percent behind this deal, and here's why:
What I've seen from Perkins post-return: A significant lack of lift, and a decrease in lateral mobility. Will that improve? You'd hope, or Perk's career is in jeopardy. The newest knee injury is a significant concern, because favoring an injured knee often is a recipe for another one. See Powe, Leon, for further information.
What Perkins gave the C's: Defense, defense, defense. His absence will be most obvious against Dwight Howard. But here's my point: Otis Smith did more for us to control Howard than Perkins could with those awful trades. And let's be honest. Perkins was an average rebounder on a bad rebounding team, and he was little or no threat offensively on the block. Anyone really worried about anyone matching up on the block with Noah? Dampier? The Knicks? Of course not.
Personally, I thought the C's extension offer to Perkins was overpaying with that package; if he wanted more, no way.
Now, on to Jeff Green: Where people fail, miserably, in trying to craft opposition to this deal is basing their anguish on what Green's done. The determining factor is what he'll be asked to do in Boston, and all the idiot sabremetrics you can trot out on his OKC games are meaningless. God, I loathe sabremetrics and the people who rely on them to evaluate a team game.
We're going to ask Green to play significant minutes at the 3 and 4 in relief of Pierce and Garnett. Anyone got a silly sabremetric to quantify the benefit of that in the playoffs? Of course not.
Further, it's worth noting that OKC doesn't worry about defense. All I need to know about Green's ability to defend I can see with my own eyes in his feet, and I have. He will flourish defensively in the Celtics' defensive system.
Anyone seriously worried about any Kevin Garnett teammate's effort? I thought not. Green will rebound better because of where he is and what his expectations are - a bunch higher than they'll be in a system crafted for two one-on-one specialists.
Bottom line: We're not going to get any worse on the glass. Depending on who Danny fills the roster out with, we might get better. And there's a chance - a good chance, IMHO - that Green matures under Doc into the bridge star we're looking to pair with Rondo.
I respect, if not entirely understand, the attachment some Celtics fans feel to their favorite players. Personally, I don't have favorite players; I look for players who fit what my favorite team's recipe to win is.
Perkins, his legs in doubt and his financial expectations unrealistic, no longer fit that recipe. I like the move now, and I'll panic later if we get no rebounding to go with our current group.
Most of you with some time here know I am anything but an Ainge apologist; I skewer him here with regularity. But the chances are good, here, that Danny pantsed Sam Presti with this deal. I like it, and I'll go on the record tonight saying I would have made it with pride.
