Dan Shaughnessy article on the "trade"

[MikeB1]

"Deal left Celtics with weak hand"
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2011/04/13/deal_left_celtics_with_weak_hand/

I couldn't agree more with his analysis of the impact of the trade.

"I hated the Kendrick Perkins deal the day it was made, and I hate it even more today. Danny Ainge blew up his team....
Something happened after the deal went down. The Celtics lost their mojo. They lost their way."

"Call me simple. I blame the deal. Something changed. This team lost its toughness. It was the end of Ubuntu. The end of the Big Three Celtics as we knew them."

I  hope the C's can beat the Knicks, but I wish they had finished as the 2nd seed and were playing the Sixers. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Knicks beat the Celtics.

[Roy H.]

This part was interesting:

“It’s good that the focus is on me,’’ said Ainge. “I just hope the players don’t use that as a crutch. When we made the deal, we were all on board.’’

Danny is basically saying, "Don't blame me for any chemistry issues, because you wanted it, too."  I wonder how much that is true.

Danny sounds very defensive in that article.  Obviously, he wouldn't admit a mistake even if he thought he made one, but I can't remember a time when he seemed so on edge answering questions.

[Roy H.]

Also, I feel a little dirty that I agree with Shaughnessy.

[Spilling Green Dye]

Also, I feel a little dirty that I agree with Shaughnessy.

You should.  And I will remember that when the Celtics do well in the playoffs. 

[garz]

That writer has an annoying attitude. It's basically like "Nope without Perk they're losing in the second round. Nope. LALALALA". It's the same stuff we've been hearing. Ainge is the one being reasonable.

The only thing we know for sure is they are playing badly. The reason why is all speculation but everyone wants to act like they are an expert on the situation. Ainge is telling the truth- they looked AWFUL at the end of last season. I'm sure they looked much worse than they do now.

It makes more sense to me that they're worn down or something. Maybe Rondo has got some mental issues because of the Perkins deal- he's depressed or something. Whatever. Everything changes when the playoffs start. We all know that, but it's easy to forget.

[vinnie]

I too agree 100 percent with Shaughnessy. And remember, he was one of the few Boston media guys on board with the Celtics last year and predicted they would get to the finals.

[Roy H.]

Also, I feel a little dirty that I agree with Shaughnessy.

You should.  And I will remember that when the Celtics do well in the playoffs. 

Well, I should clarify:  I agree with Shaughnessy to a point.  I think the trade weakened this team.  I'm not ready to say that they'll lose prior to the Finals, though.  If Shaq can come back healthy and if this team can regain its focus, this team can make a championship run.  Those are two big ifs, but they're not impossibilities.

[FatjohnReturns]

Winning the title was not guaranteed this year.
The Marquis injury was even a bigger factor than Perkins contract, it forced Ainges hand.  

Paul Pierce looks healthier right now than in the last five years at this point in the season.

We can disect and overanaylze everything now but hindsight is 20/20. Trust the guy who got us there in 08. He is stll the same GM.  

[Roy H.]

The Marquis injury was even a bigger factor than Perkins contract, it forced Ainges hand.  

The injury certainly forced his hand into finding a backup 3.  I'm not sure, though, that Jeff Green was the only small forward out there.

[Spilling Green Dye]

That writer has an annoying attitude. It's basically like "Nope without Perk they're losing in the second round. Nope. LALALALA". It's the same stuff we've been hearing. Ainge is the one being reasonable.

The only thing we know for sure is they are playing badly. The reason why is all speculation but everyone wants to act like they are an expert on the situation. Ainge is telling the truth- they looked AWFUL at the end of last season. I'm sure they looked much worse than they do now.

It makes more sense to me that they're worn down or something. Maybe Rondo has got some mental issues because of the Perkins deal- he's depressed or something. Whatever. Everything changes when the playoffs start. We all know that, but it's easy to forget.

Totally agree.  And someone has yet to explain to me exactly what Perkins has done for the Celtics on the court this year.  This article is about mojo, feelings, attitude, toughness, etc.  The game is played on the court, is tangible, and if the players who are in Celtics uniforms aren't playing well then it has nothing to do with Perkins and everything to do with with their production.

The only reasonable argument to me is that Perkins added depth at the center position.  But Jermaine looked healthy to me, and I'm confident Shaq will be playing these playoffs.  He routinely sits out games during the regular season, but when has he sat out the playoffs??  He doesn't, and he won't.

This team is deeper and healthier (though I question Rondo's health a bit) than anytime in the past 2 years, and they have no "feelings" excuse that would work.

If Shaughnessy really thinks the Celtics may lose the 1st round matchup to the Knicks then he's a bigger idiot than I thought.  

[CelticG1]

Shaughnessy is A LOT worse on the radio too (annoying wise)

He basically thinks that even if Shaq and JO are healthy that it doesn't really make a difference.

[Assassin70]

Sigh  

We will see.  The playoffs are about to start.

The mojo thing seems valid...from what we have seen on the court.  But what can you do, what is done is done.

I still think we are a better "team" on paper then we were before the trade deadline.  But as the saying goes "paper don't win championships"

I also have to add without the trade (due to Perk and Nate injuries) there is a strong probability we would have lost even more games and would have the been the 4th seed .

[FatjohnReturns]

The Marquis injury was even a bigger factor than Perkins contract, it forced Ainges hand.  

The injury certainly forced his hand into finding a backup 3.  I'm not sure, though, that Jeff Green was the only small forward out there.

Yea agree Green probably wasnt the only SF on the market.
It might have simply been the best deal. Without knowing all the deals and details that were offered its all just speculation.

All I know is that Ainge turned around one of the worst teams in the league in 06/07 into a champion in 07/08 and giving us four years of solid contention . I just trust the mans judgement on whats good for this team.

[greenhead85]

Whenever the Perkins-for-Jeff Green trade is being discussed, I always look at it that PP will have his production suffer - be it in scoring, defense assignment or rebounding. He'll be possibly pitted against Lebron, Melo, Granger, Deng/Taj, Turkoglu and Iguodala in the East and KD and Artest/Barnes/Kobe/Odom from the West in the playoffs. He is our chief one-on-one guy and top scorer. The presence of Perkins will never alleviate that lingering problem. Plus, the trade was a team decision. Our strength in defense (majority,that is) will depend on a beastly Garnett. KG is a very efficient defender and scorer if he has a back up big. We have 3 bigs who will play with him. To me, the efficiency of the big 4 depends on getting reliable back up players to give them enough time to rest.

Without Green, we'll be limping at the 3. When PP takes a rest, at least the player PP is guarding will have a difficult time of dealing with an athletic, tall young SF.

[Roy H.]

All I know is that Ainge turned around one of the worst teams in the league in 06/07 into a champion in 07/08 and giving us four years of solid contention . I just trust the mans judgement on whats good for this team.

I'm definitely thankful for what Danny has pulled off, and think that he's a very good GM.  He probably deserves the benefit of the doubt more than myself and others have given him on this trade.  That said, even people who are very good at their jobs sometimes make mistakes (Raef trade, Banks and Giddens draft picks, etc.)  Let's hope that the team proves me wrong; I'll be very happy if they do so.