The trade has killed this team

[vinnie]

it's not possible to properly judge the trade until we see how the team plays  with Shaq ... sorry.  Cry all you want, but the trade was made for the playoffs... not a regular season game against the Bobcats.

The best post of the day. Overreaction on this blog is annoying
TP

Why is anyone's argument here more valid than anyone else's? This team stinks right now and the head coach has said this is not like last year. I can't remember the head coach ever ripping the team last year as he has the last week. He never called them soft last year, never said they were selfish, never said the team is about "me me me," never said all the players are doing is sulking and hanging their heads. I admire your optimism and you guys were right last year.

[The DarkPassenger]

I don't think that "The Trade" killed the team, I think all of those trades hurt us and it is over looked because of the big name that was involved (Perk) and we're forgetting what losing Marquis Daniels and yes even the losses of Nate, Gody and Erden and what that did for the team as well.

Also timing killed us as well because the new guys must crunch in the play book and try to still play well enough to be in the rotation when the playoffs hit. I think that Doc decision tonight (I missed the game but heard later) of putting in Krstic when BBD fouled out over Green is confusing to me because I thought that Green was the key bench guy, the corner stone of "The Trade" and Krstic was just a guy coming in because we needed a big to start for us.

Regardless of how we felt about the old bench we must see that before all the trades the injuries to Shaq and JO were not headlines really, or it wasn't "we need them, we need them now" kind of thing and now it is because some the new guys are taking time learning the book.

Main thing that killed us for those who don't wanna read all that is timing of the trades and the losses of the others (not just Perk) that is often forgotten.

[tenn_smoothie]

If Red Auerbach was a GM genius - and he was - and if Red's greatest strength was his innate ability to understand people and what motivated them and helped them be the best athlete they could be within their abilities - and it was - and if Red made one brilliant personnel decision after another throughout his glorious career with the Celtics - and he did - then Danny Ainge just made possibly the stupidest and most destructive trade to ruin a Celtics championship team, just weeks away from starting their playoff run, in the history of professional basketball.

What were you trying to prove Danny - that you were the smartest guy in the room ? That you knew all along that Red was too loyal to his players and should have traded Larry Bird or Kevin McHale back in the 80's, so you just had to show everyone how you know better than he did how to manage a championship team ? You just overanalyzed, outsmarted and micromanaged the Celtics out of their 18th banner. Hope you are happy when the Lakers tie us for the most NBA titles later this year.

[screwedupmaniac]

Forgive me for not understanding how the trade "Killed our team". It was either we make the trade, or we go into the post season with no backup SF for Pierce. Remember that most of the players we traded away are not finishing the season due to injuries (Semi, Daniels), and the starter we traded away is still coming back from a knee injury that was hampering the only strong point of his game: Defense.

We're not seeing this team at full-throttle yet...before making a final assessment of everything, I will wait and see how Shaq and Jermaine impact the team over the next couple of weeks.

Danny could have made other trades to get a backup SF without trading the heart of the team.

Heart of the team?? We traded KG and Pierce away? Last I checked, Perk was NOT the heart of the team...he was a physical presence in the middle, something that Shaq will also be upon his return.

I think the trade pretty much proves Perkins was the heart of this team.

We are nothing without him and it shows in our play.

What shows in our recent play is that half of our team suffered season ending injuries in the first half of the year, and we had no choice but to trade them all away for healthy players if we even wanted a remote chance at winning anything this year. I loved Perk as much as anyone, but we are vastly overrating Perk, and forgetting the fact that this team is bipolar and pulled this "i'm bored, let's turn of the switch and lose" crap last march too.

[alley oop]

The problem right now for us is the under-performance of our big 4. With the exception of Rondo, I doubt the trade has had little effect on those guys' chemistry. But that is a big if. Rondo no long attacks the hoop and kicks out to the open guy, and rarely finishes.  Sadly, I think the players don't want to fight for first place, and would rather just coast to the play-offs. They proved last year they could get away with that, so might as well do it again.

Rondo said several months ago, when asked, that he didn't agree that HCA was necessary.

[OsirusCeltics]

Forgive me for not understanding how the trade "Killed our team". It was either we make the trade, or we go into the post season with no backup SF for Pierce. Remember that most of the players we traded away are not finishing the season due to injuries (Semi, Daniels), and the starter we traded away is still coming back from a knee injury that was hampering the only strong point of his game: Defense.

We're not seeing this team at full-throttle yet...before making a final assessment of everything, I will wait and see how Shaq and Jermaine impact the team over the next couple of weeks.

you obviously have zero understanding of what chemistry and togetherness does in team sports - you are missing the point entirely.

No YOU are missing the point. What the hell is chemistry if the entire team is injured??? Celtics had to make this trade

[BASS_THUMPER]

it's not possible to properly judge the trade until we see how the team plays  with Shaq ... sorry.  Cry all you want, but the trade was made for the playoffs... not a regular season game against the Bobcats.

The best post of the day. Overreaction on this blog is annoying
TP

Why is anyone's argument here more valid than anyone else's? This team stinks right now and the head coach has said this is not like last year. I can't remember the head coach ever ripping the team last year as he has the last week. He never called them soft last year, never said they were selfish, never said the team is about "me me me," never said all the players are doing is sulking and hanging their heads. I admire your optimism and you guys were right last year.

im goin  back a bit but its been worse..round bout this time a minute ago we would be talking bout first round picks..

[ACF]

Forgive me for not understanding how the trade "Killed our team". It was either we make the trade, or we go into the post season with no backup SF for Pierce. Remember that most of the players we traded away are not finishing the season due to injuries (Semi, Daniels), and the starter we traded away is still coming back from a knee injury that was hampering the only strong point of his game: Defense.

We're not seeing this team at full-throttle yet...before making a final assessment of everything, I will wait and see how Shaq and Jermaine impact the team over the next couple of weeks.

Danny could have made other trades to get a backup SF without trading the heart of the team.

Heart of the team?? We traded KG and Pierce away? Last I checked, Perk was NOT the heart of the team...he was a physical presence in the middle, something that Shaq will also be upon his return.

I think the trade pretty much proves Perkins was the heart of this team.

We are nothing without him and it shows in our play.

"Nothing" without Perk? I'm sorry but that's the lamest stuff I've heard in a looooooong (yeah, THAT long) time. We've got KG. Pierce. Allen. Others. We'll prevail. Thank me later 

[lovely_20]

The games still need to be played before we count this team out. Yes, I am an optimist, an apologist, a homer, and a fan. I'm not blind to what is going on, but I simply have faith in this team, it's players and it's coach. It will be all the more sweet when we work through this funk and play the Lakers again in the finals.

TP for reading my mind. 

[OsirusCeltics]

it's not possible to properly judge the trade until we see how the team plays  with Shaq ... sorry.  Cry all you want, but the trade was made for the playoffs... not a regular season game against the Bobcats.

The best post of the day. Overreaction on this blog is annoying
TP

Why is anyone's argument here more valid than anyone else's? This team stinks right now and the head coach has said this is not like last year. I can't remember the head coach ever ripping the team last year as he has the last week. He never called them soft last year, never said they were selfish, never said the team is about "me me me," never said all the players are doing is sulking and hanging their heads. I admire your optimism and you guys were right last year.

Its the same tactic Doc used a couple games ago when he called the this team "soft" during halftime. KG said the team didn't like the comment but it lit a fire in them. He said Doc knows how to push buttons. There is too much overreaction to them losing. Its comical, but it doesn't mean that this team is done for

[barefacedmonk]

Our 2008-2009 team played with heart even after KG went down. With a horrible bench...and Mikki Moore as our back up C. But we still had our team chemistry and the team on the whole was on the same page.

This team hasn't looked the same since the trade...even after we had that wonderful start where Krstic was playing well above his head....as things stand today, we are 9-8...and I don't see any reason why we would've had a worse record if we had kept Perk. All we needed was a decent back up SF to give PP some rest. Luke, Marquis, Erden, Nate and picks (maybe cash) should have been the only pieces of any trade. End of February, during a season when you're chasing the championship, was not the right time to make major moves.

Danny can spin it anyway he wants...but if we don't win it all..I guarantee you there won't be many fans who will still see the trade in favourable light.

To end my rant, I will borrow Master Po's words: "Danny Ainge is a snake".

EDIT: I hate the trade...but I have to add that I still think a healthy Shaq will make a lot of difference to our team. How much, I'm not sure...but hopefully it ends with a championship.

[alley oop]

it's not possible to properly judge the trade until we see how the team plays  with Shaq ... sorry.  Cry all you want, but the trade was made for the playoffs... not a regular season game against the Bobcats.

Agreed.

[Onslaught]

we're practically undefeated in games where Shaq played playoff minutes... We'll be fine.  

Really? A 39 year old, Kind of fat guy is going to be our savior? "Fine" to me isn't making it to the Finals. I don't care about making it out of the east unless we win it all.  And as it stands right now I don't even see us coming out of the east.

Anything less then #18 this year is a failure.

[GreenFaith1819]

What ACF said.

I love Perk and wish him the best, but I'll take our Big Four come June.

[Onslaught]

Our "Big Four" couldn't beat the Bobcats at home when trying to win home court in the east.