Danny really is a snake oil salesman - Sometimes

[tenn_smoothie]

people on this board CONTINUE to point out statistical "evidence" as to why the Celtics did not miss Perk - these people simply do not understand much about the dynamics of team sports.

it ain't about the stats.

It's better than just saying what our eyes tell us and leaving it at that. For instance, when I watch Thunder games, it looks like Perk is really moving poorly (poorer than usual), but if I come out and say only that, it looks like a hollow argument meant to tear the guy down. So, I do the logical progression and just post the stats that back up my observations to skip the post where someone asks about my glasses or something of the like.

So, I'll just say that the Thunder have not performed very well with Perkins on the court compared to when he is off the court....offensively or defensively.

I'd also like to add that I've been playing team sports my whole life and that you can have the most Ubuntu-esque locker room in the world and still lose if you don't have the talent that the other team does.

what my eyes tell me is that the Thunder won a bunch of games after Perk started playing for them and that they also are on the brink of the Western finals

Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

faulty

Perkins has rebounded well for OKC and he has played his usual solid defense when asked to do what he was brought in for - a tough interior presence and not a perimeter defender. he has also done another very important job for OKC, take up a lot of space. much like Andrew Bynum against Boston in the finals last year, Perk has to be accounted for which opens up interior space for teammates to rebound, block shots and score. without Bynum taking up space last year and allowing Gasol and Odom to crash the boards, LA does not beat Boston.

contrast OKC with what happened with the Celts after the trade, there is simply no question that they took a decisive dive - the team was hurt emotionally (important) and physically (on-court). you can poke fun at the emotions of 7-foot millionaires all you want, but given your experience with the dynamics of team sports, i know that you will understand.


nothing faulty about that.

[Papatrichs]

Any comments pertaining to Glen Davis?

Glen, grow up.

[CoachBo]

Goodbye, Glen.

[JohnBagleyValueMeal]

Cringe-worthy interview, but I'm not getting into this debate.

Just an aside, though: Danny brought 2 big signings here, not 3.

He gets full credit for the Garnett trade, which was the most important and brought us a banner, no question. But he's also orchestrated quite a few whiffs as well, and he deserves the same amount of credit for those.

[jdpapa3]

 But he's also orchestrated quite a few whiffs as well, and he deserves the same amount of credit for those.

I think this is faulty logic if I'm reading you correctly. He'd have to make about 10 horrible trades with rotation players involved to balance out the scale to make the outcome equal to the KG trade.

[Casperian]

I miss Rick Pitino.
While we´re at it, any chance a Gaston could buy the franchise?

I guess loyalty is only important when it comes to players. Everyone else is fair game.

[BballTim]

Goodbye, Glen.

  Nice post, but a bit too wordy.

[Roy H.]

 But he's also orchestrated quite a few whiffs as well, and he deserves the same amount of credit for those.

I think this is faulty logic if I'm reading you correctly. He'd have to make about 10 horrible trades with rotation players involved to balance out the scale to make the outcome equal to the KG trade.

I think you have to look at things in context.  For instance, Joe Dumars.  Is he a great GM?  Winning a championship suggests yes.  The Darko pick and the Charlie V. and Ben Gordon signings suggest otherwise.  To determine the truth of Joe Dumars, you have to look at the entire record.

I like Danny, and I think he has a good track record, even beyond the KG / Ray trades.  However, there are also some missteps, and those are part of the package.

[LB3533]

You can't always be perfect at everything.

The thing about Danny is he is a huge risk taker.

Some risks pan out, some don't.

[barefacedmonk]

From the main page:

The Celtics began talks with the Thunder not for Jeff Green, but for James Harden. You know, the James Harden that has been en fuego since the trade deadline and has become a legitimate third playmaker for the Thunder and a nightmare for opponents? That James Harden?

Getting past how incredible it is that Presti continues to make the right move no matter what the evidence tells him to (and the evidence would have told him Harden was an acceptable price for Perkins prior to the trade deadline), we’ve got an interesting What If question here. How would Harden have impacted the Celtics?

Well, for one, it would have given them another distributor and playmaker who could drive, lessening the impact of Rajon Rondo‘s injury. It would have provided a younger defender to sick on Dwyane Wade who did the most damage. And it would have given them a versatile building block who could have really learned behind Ray Allen and Paul Pierce while being the young cornerstone they need without the inconsistencies and dreaded “tweener” label Jeff Green comes with. In short, it would have been better all around. It may not have made the difference in a Celtics win or loss against the Heat, but you have to think Harden would have given them more than Green, who didn’t seem to adjust to life in the Celtics’ locker room after years in the warm bosom of the OKC locker room.

Green would still be with the Thunder, likely being criticized as fans called for Ibaka to get more playing time (one of the best results of the trade for Perkins, along with moving Ibaka to PF next to Perk), knocking down the occasional three and getting bowled over by Zach Randolph.

Link

Interesting....Jeff Green wasn't even our first choice.

[Roy H.]

From the main page:

The Celtics began talks with the Thunder not for Jeff Green, but for James Harden. You know, the James Harden that has been en fuego since the trade deadline and has become a legitimate third playmaker for the Thunder and a nightmare for opponents? That James Harden?

Getting past how incredible it is that Presti continues to make the right move no matter what the evidence tells him to (and the evidence would have told him Harden was an acceptable price for Perkins prior to the trade deadline), we’ve got an interesting What If question here. How would Harden have impacted the Celtics?

Well, for one, it would have given them another distributor and playmaker who could drive, lessening the impact of Rajon Rondo‘s injury. It would have provided a younger defender to sick on Dwyane Wade who did the most damage. And it would have given them a versatile building block who could have really learned behind Ray Allen and Paul Pierce while being the young cornerstone they need without the inconsistencies and dreaded “tweener” label Jeff Green comes with. In short, it would have been better all around. It may not have made the difference in a Celtics win or loss against the Heat, but you have to think Harden would have given them more than Green, who didn’t seem to adjust to life in the Celtics’ locker room after years in the warm bosom of the OKC locker room.

Green would still be with the Thunder, likely being criticized as fans called for Ibaka to get more playing time (one of the best results of the trade for Perkins, along with moving Ibaka to PF next to Perk), knocking down the occasional three and getting bowled over by Zach Randolph.

Link

Interesting....Jeff Green wasn't even our first choice.

Yeah, I think Matt Moore overrates the current James Harden right now, but he's shown lots of sustained flashes, and unlike Green, actually does have loads of potential.  There's a reason Presti saw Green as expendable, but not Harden.

Basically, Presti got Perk without giving up any pieces of his core.  The only piece the Thunder gave up that they seemed interested in keeping was the Clippers pick.

If Danny had landed Harden, I would have been disappointed to see Perk go and to seemingly be punting on the season (or at least weakening our short term chances), but would have been very happy to get a player of Harden's quality and potential.

[LooseCannon]

I wonder if Perk for Harden was the earlier deal that Doc deemed unacceptable.

[JohnBagleyValueMeal]

 But he's also orchestrated quite a few whiffs as well, and he deserves the same amount of credit for those.

I think this is faulty logic if I'm reading you correctly. He'd have to make about 10 horrible trades with rotation players involved to balance out the scale to make the outcome equal to the KG trade.

You're reading me incorrectly. All I'm saying is that the record needs to be judged as it is. You can't overlook the signings of Allen and KG, and you can't overlook the multiple whiffs either. Obviously some moves are more important than others, but all I was saying is that they all count (except the ones he didn't make, like Pierce!)

[BballTim]

  Danny was supposedly high on Harden before the draft, wasn't he?

[LB3533]

Hindsight is 20/20.

You can't write an article saying that if we had gotten Harden he would have been a distributor and playmaker incase Rondo got injured.

You can't predict Rondo would have gotten his arm hyperextended!

You also don't make trades based upon fear of injury.

Danny wasn't thinking, oh I want Harden because if Rondo gets hurt we got another backup along with Delonte....it just doesn't work that way guys.

And if we had gotten Harden, it would most certainly be for his shooting and stretching the range.

Harden would be used in the mold of Eddie House or Nate Robinson.

Harden would definitely have had an easier transition if he were traded to us...much more easier transition than Green.

If it ended up that Rondo had gotten hurt right after the deal and we thrusted Harden into a starting PG role...he may have had much difficult time adjusting and we'd be killing Danny and Doc on Harden's use.

In the end of everything, Jeff Green will have the better career and be the better player than Harden.