Hey kids...We have a backup Center

The Celtics have made another move in free agency, signing veteran Center Scott Pollard to a one year deal. This should fill the Celtics need for another center to backup Perkins. While Mutumbo and PJ Brown may have been better choices, it doesn't seem like the team could land either. It had been reported previously that Mutumbo was only interested in returning to Houston or retiring, so that was probably the main factor. It appears that Pollard signed for the vet minimum as well, so the team isn't spending a lot of dollars to have him on the roster. Pollard has been known throughout the years for hustle, which should be good coming off the bench. He also went to Kansas with Paul Pierce. However, most importantly, he's known for this:



Welcome to Boston big guy.

C's add veteran House

Just one day after officially announcing the signing of Kevin Garnett, the Celtics have added Eddie House to their roster. House may be fulfilling the veteran point guard position that the Celtics have been seeking. He is more of a shooter than Rondo, and with the two splitting minutes, could provide scoring off the bench when the Big 3 need some rest. At age 29, House brings even more experience to the team. Celtics fans love Rondo, but the young guard probably isn't ready to handle the point alone on a championship caliber team at this point in his career. The only other option at point was rookie Gabe Pruitt, who shows great potential but still hasn't proven anything in the NBA. This signing can lift a lot of weight off Rondo's shoulders.

Most importantly though, the House deal is only for one year and it doesn't seem the Celtics will be spending the kind of money they would in acquiring a player like Brevin Knight or Charlie Bell. Still, with House being more of a shooter, the C's may still be looking at other veteran point guards for the team. One name that has been brought up is Gary Payton. He may be very old at this point, but we could most likely get him for cheap, and he already has experience playing in Boston.

In other news, the Herald Reports that the C's also signed Jackie Manuel, a former UNC Tarheel and ACC defensive player of the year who has recently spent time in the development league. Manuel gives the Celtics another wing player to come off the bench and provides solid defense that the team could use.

The Celtics may still look to add another wing through free agency. Ruben Patterson, James Posey, and Matt Barnes would all be good fits, but salary issues may prevent this from happening. All will most likely be looking for big contracts and with the signings of Garnett and Allen, the Celtics don't have a ton of money to spend.

The other issue for the Celtics is their pursuit of another big man, and according to many sources included head coach Doc Rivers, veteran Dikembe Mutumbo may be in the teams sights. However, other reports have stated that Mutumbo only wants to play for Houston at this point in his career. While he is in his 40s, Mutumbo is still one of the best shot blockers in the league and could not only provide minutes off the bench, but help Kendrick Perkins grow as a player. PJ Brown is also an available free agent, but according to the Herald, would be seeking the full mid level exception of $5.6 million.

The New Big 3?

While a press conference still has not been held, the deal is pretty much finalized. WEEI reported that Kevin Garnett's plane has landed in Boston. Paul Pierce is on his way to town as well. With this deal in place, the Celtics now may have a new Big 3 that could very well lead the team into the NBA finals this season.

As a Celtics fan, it's hard not to like a deal that improves us this much and more importantly makes the Boston Celtics relevant again. Steven A. Smith and Bill Simmons excited me even further last night, as their thoughts on the trade were very similar to mine. Both mentioned the types of players that comprise this trio. All have been in similar situations, carrying teams that appeared to be going nowhere. All are hungry for a championship. Must importantly, all are for the most part unselfish players who have put their team first and should be able to work together very well.

On the flip side, we have lost a lot, including great young talent like Jefferson, Green, and Gomes. However, Danny Ainge has stuck by his word that he was going to blow up the previous team, stockpile young assets, and pull off big deals to make us a contender. He has done this. Losing Jefferson hurts, and as much as we've seen him develop, he still isn't Kevin Garnett. Green has a lot of potential, but I think the Celtics marketing has done wonders in terms of us fans falling in love with these young guys who still haven't shown us a ton. I hate losing Gomes, but if it has to be done, it has to be done.

The Celtics main issue now is finalizing the roster, as the bench looks pretty thin after losing 5 players in the deal. We could still use a veteran point guard, probably another center, and maybe a backup swingman since Tony Allen is still coming off a pretty bad injury. For now though, I'll let the Garnett deal sink in and return in a day or two with thoughts on how we can complete this team and compete for number 17.

KG Back in the Mix

Reports came in late Sunday night indicated that the rumored deal that would send Kevin Garnett to the Celtics is back on. ESPN.com and Fox Sports are both reporting on the deal, with Fox Sports saying that the deal could be close to done, maybe even as early as in the next 48 hours. I'm not sure if they're jumping the gun, but this would be huge news for not only the Celtics but the entire league as well.

ESPN is reporting that the Celtics would be sending Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, and possibly Gerald Green and Telfair. Fox Sports, however, is saying that Jefferson and Ratliff would be packaged with Rondo. Regardless of how the deal may go down, there is going to have to be confirmation that Garnett won't opt out of the contract. A big factor also will be whether he actually wants to play in Boston. However, with the recent addition of Ray Allen, Garnett's feelings toward Boston may have changed.

The youth movement could be over if such a deal goes down, as the C's would be giving up a lot of young talent. However, a team with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and KG would definitely be able to make some noise, especially in the weak Eastern Conference. We'll see how things play out.

Summer League Ends

The Celtics summer league ended on Saturday with a 91-70 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Glen Davis led the C's with 19 points and 14 boards. Gerald Green and Allan Ray both finished with 15 points. Despite an impressive performance from Davis though, the Celtics were not in top form and appeared over matched. Former Northeastern star Jose Juan Barea had an impressive performance at the point with 10 points and 11 assists. Barea appears to be a strong candidate for the backup point position in Dallas this year.

With this loss, the Celtics finish the summer league with a 3-2 record. The Celtics obviously have work to do before the season starts, but the summer league gave fans a taste of the future. Glen Davis, Leon Powe, and Brandon Wallace were all very impressive, and Allan Ray and Gabe Pruitt had a chance to show their skills as well. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Gerald Green. Many expected him to steal the show, but Green struggled, particularly with his shooting. As I mentioned before, I'm not too worried about this and still feel he will have a strong season.

With the summer league over, the trade gossip will most likely resume as Danny Ainge and the C's look to add more pieces to the team. A deal for Sarunas Jasikevicius was rumored in the papers yesterday but no solid information is available. Jasikevicius could fit the role of a veteran point guard, which could be helpful to the team considered the youth at that position. In addition, his strong shooting would compliment Rondo who still lacks a consistent jump shot. I see the team pulling off a few deals like this rather than a big blockbuster deal, but with Ainge it's very hard to tell. Regardless of what happens, The Green Party will keep you updated.

C's Roll Past Bucks

(Celtics.com)

The Celtics got their third summer league win on Friday night, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 84-76. With Rondo out of the lineup, rookie Gabe Pruitt stepped up big, scoring 14 points and making the highlight reels with an impressive dunk. Brandon Wallace also had an impressive putback dunk, showing off the athleticism that Celtics management likes so much. Leon Powe continued his strong summer league with 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Overall, the game was a strong showing for the Celtics, with Allan Ray and Glen Davis also having good outings. The FSN crew mentioned earlier yesterday that Ray needed to step up in the summer league and his 14 points last night helped that cause. Disappointing though, is the summer league performance from Gerald Green. Expectations were high going into the league, as Gerald needs to show that he's worthy of playing some serious minutes in his 3rd NBA season. There is still much more work to be done before the season starts though, and I have faith that Gerald will come through and play a large role for the team.

Mike Gorman appeared on FSN yesterday before the game praising the signing of Brandon Wallace. While Wallace isn't putting up huge numbers in the summer league, Gorman put over Wallace's excellent defensive ability, stating that it's been a long time since the Celtics had a 6'9" defender.

With one game to go against Dallas today, the Celtics youth are showing that they can make quite an impact in the coming season.

Celtics Crush China

The Celtics beat China 80-52 on Wednesday. I didn't get a chance to watch this one, but it certainly was a blowout. Leon Powe had an impressive game with 23 points and 12 rebounds, continuing what has been a solid summer league performance. Yi Jianlian scored only 7 points and gathered up 5 boards. The Celtics play Milwauke tonight, and I should have a much better recap/analysis tomorrow.