NBA's Fight Night

KG appears to hit Channing Fyre in the crown jewels when he goes up with the shot.  It didn't seem like much on the replays, but as all males know, one little hit is can be brutal.

Marvin Williams is a punk.  Who hits the guy from behind, and why do you mess with Shawne Williams?  Have you seen his rap sheet?  Dude is crazy.  The commentator is wondering why they would fight... I tell you why thanks to my friend Simmons... Women or Gambling.  

-Charlie.

The Celtics Big Three Attend a Screening of Fast and Furious

Kevin Garnett to Miss Games

Kevin Garnett has started running on a treadmill but is expected to miss at least another week with a strained right knee.

Kevin Garnett Boston Celtics Player

Kevin Garnett became the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years. His accomplishments include 2003-04 Most Valuable Player, NBA Defensive 2007-08 Player of the Year and one of twelve All-Star teams and nine All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams, respectively.

Kevin Garnett Intenses Summer Music Releases

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

-------------

Beck - Modern Guilt

-------------

Nas - Untitled

-------------

Weezer - Weezer (The Red Album)

Kevin Garnett Intenses Summer Movies

Special to Ze Blowtorch, Kevin Garnett reviews the latest summer movies.

Iron Man

-------------

The Love Guru

-------------
Get Smart

-------------
The Happening

-------------

Don't Mess with the Zohan

Kevin Garnett Intenses Twitter

Kevin Garnett's current Twitter status:

Before You Declare A Winner...

In the aftermath of the Kevin Garnett trade every sportswriter, blogger, and watercooler guy has jumped in to declare a definitive "winner" and a definitive "loser" in the deal. The thing is though, it is way too early to make such a determination. I am not suggesting that we need to see how Garnett plays with the Celtics. My hesitation involves the two most underrated assests involved in the trade; the two first round picks.

The "future first round pick" in the NBA is the equivalent of the "player to be named later" in baseball trades. The pick usually remains unnoticed until the draft comes around, at which time everyone says "Man, how are the Bulls picking 9th this year?" (If you were wondering, the answer to that question is the Eddy Curry deal with New York.) Not only will the Timberwolves have the Celtics pick (probably somewhere between 14-20), but they also get their own first round pick back that they had traded to Boston in the Ricky Davis deal. If the Wolves are as bad the next couple of years as some people think they will be, that pick very well could turn out to be a top 5 selection, which could completely change the complexion of the Garnett trade.

For the sake of fun, here is a look at the top ten players that were selected with picks that were traded before the draft;


10. Ron Artest
Drafted: #16 by the Bulls in 1999
Pick From: Phoenix Suns

9. Michael Finley
Drafted: #21 by the Suns in 1995
Pick From: LA Lakers

8. Antoine Walker
Drafted: #6 by the Celtics in 1996
Pick From: Dallas Mavericks

7. Emeka Okafor
Drafted: #2 by the Bobcats in 2004
Pick From: LA Clippers

6. Shawn Kemp
Drafted: #17 by the Sonics in 1989
Pick From: Philadelphia 76ers

5. Detlef Schrempf
Drafted: #8 by the Mavericks in 1985
Pick From: Cleveland Cavaliers

4. Shawn Marion
Drafted: #9 by the Suns in 1999
Pick From: Dallas Mavericks

3. Scottie Pippen
Drafted: #5 by the Sonics in 1987
Pick From: New York Knicks

2. James Worthy
Drafted: #1 by the Lakers in 1982
Pick From: Cleveland Cavaliers

1. Charles Barkley
Drafted: #5 by the 76ers in 1984
Pick From: LA Clippers

I have to admit, it is pretty interesting that there are some repeat offenders on this list. The Clippers traded away Charles Barkley and Emeka Okafor, the Cavs traded James Worthy and Detlef Schrempf, and the Mavs traded both Shawn Marion and Antoine Walker. If one of the first round picks from the Garnett trade turns out like one of these, perhaps the Wolves will come out looking a lot better than people are giving them credit for right now.

Bookmark WTB!
Press [Ctrl + D]

Is This A Good Trade For Boston?

In case you slept through the entire day yesterday, you probably know that Kevin Garnett is going to Boston. (ESPN, SI, and Sportsline all say it is agreed to, so if it falls through blame them, not me.) So now that the deal is essentially done, lets take a look at both what Boston had to give up and what they have left.

Going: First, here is what they are reported to be sending to Minnesota;

Al Jefferson
Gerald Green
Sebastian Telfair
Ryan Gomes
Theo Ratliff
2 future 1st Round Picks

In order to get KG Danny Ainge had to sell his soul and do what he had said all along he didn't want to do; deal all of his young talent. Giving up Al Jefferson really hurts. In case you didn't get the chance to see Jefferson in the second half of the season last year, here is what you need to know. Before the All Star break Jefferson posted these stats; 13.9 PTS, 10.6 REB, 1.45 BLK, .484 FG%. After the break his numbers looked like this; 19.8 PTS, 11.5 REB, 1.68 BLK, .554 FG%. Point being, Jefferson was just starting to come out of his shell at the end of last season, and was poised to become a 20-10 threat this upcoming year. Giving up a 22 year old with that kind of talent is a huge risk for the Celtics to take.

Besides Jefferson, Gerald Green also has potential to develop into a big time player in the NBA. The certainty of his development however, is much less certain than Jefferson's. Some people think Green could be a consistent 20 PPG scorer on the wing; some think he is no better than a backup. If Green comes out somewhere inbetween, the Timberwolves would have a pretty good tandem on their hands with Green and Corey Brewer on the wing.

Telfair and Gomes are both in the trade mainly to even out the salary cap, but both have the potential to be develop into decent bench players. The real key to this trade could be the second draft pick, which is actually the draft pick that Minnesota sent to Boston back in the Wally for Ricky trade a few years back. Considering that the Wolves might be the worst team in the West for the next two seasons, that pick very well could be a top 5 selection. Add a top 5 pick to a core of Jefferson, Green, Brewer, and Randy Foye, and in three years time Kevin McHale and the Timberwolves could end up looking pretty smart.

Coming: There is no questioning that the Celtics are getting a major talent back in this trade. Despite being 31 years old and a 12 year NBA veteran, Garnett is still one of the top ten players in the NBA. (To be more precise since people throw around that phrase all the time, I'd say he is the 7th best player in the league right now.) Garnett still has at least 2-3 years of prime ball left in him, during which time he will be without a doubt 1.) the best passing big man in the East 2.) the best defender in the East and 3.) a dominant offesive force. After those 2-3 prime years? He'll likely lose a little of the explosion he has on defense and offense but he will still be the hungriest guy on the court, and passing skills don't really fade with time.

Left: Here is where the plot thickens. Everyone knows about the newly formed trio of KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Will they be good? Yeah. Will they make the playoffs? Yeah. Will they win the East? Well, to answer that one lets take a look at what the Celtics will have other than the big three;

Rajon Rondo
Kendrick Perkins
Brian Scalabrine
Tony Allen
Leon Powe
Brandon Wallace
Glen Davis
Gabe Pruitt

Now, consider that two of those players will be starting for the Celtics every night (Rondo and Perkins), and that another two will be playing at least 25 minutes a night, and now you begin to see the potential downside of this deal. Brian Scalabrine is the 6th Man...need I say more? There is an obvious move that the Celtics can make that will help them greatly. Sign Brevin Knight. Sign him tomorrow. Sign him before you even eat breakfast tomorrow. That one deal may well be the difference between next year's Celtics team being a mere playoff team and being the Eastern Conference champions. Knight was made for this role. Think about it; Rondo is talented but raw. Who better to step in for a year to teach him than Knight, who is an undersized defensive specialist just like Rondo? Knight would also be the perfect fit to play with the big three. He doesn't need to take shots, and is one of the best pure passing point guards in the game. The sad thing for the Celtics is that they didn't make this trade two weeks ago. If they had, then in addition to Knight they could have added Jamaal Magloire at center to complete the starting lineup. Tell me a lineup of Knight, Allen, Pierce, Garnett, and Magloire wouldn't be a whole heck of a lot better than a lineup with Rando and Perkins instead.

The Verdict:As things stand right now, Boston will be hard pressed to win the East with their current team. I think both Miami and Detroit would still beat them in a playoff series. Also, if you really think about it, are these new Celtics really any better than Cleveland, Washington, Chicago, Toronto, or New Jersey? And hasn't the three star philosophy been tried recently in the East to lackluster results? (See; Arenas-Jamison-Butler and Kidd-Carter-Jefferson) Also, for all of the "Celtics will smash the East, the East sucks" people, here is a newsflash for you; the East got a lot better when you weren't looking. Let's start at the bottom. Milwaukee had Michael Redd, Charlie Villanueva, and Bobby Simmons hurt for large parts of last season, and now add Yi Jianlian to a now healthy team. The Knicks were able to add Zach Randolph for essentially nothing. The Bobcats traded for Jason Richardson and also look to get full seasons from Primoz Brezec, Sean May, and Walter Herrman. The 76ers ended the season on a 17-9 run when you weren't looking, and then added Thaddeus Young through the draft. The Magic signed Rashard Lewis. The Wizards look to have a healthy Gilbert Arenas. The Heat look forward to full years from the recently injured Shaq and D-Wade. I say all that to say this; if you are ready to say the Celtics, last year's worst Eastern team, are the top team in the East this year, you are ignoring reality. The whole Eastern Conference upgraded this offseason, and the Celtics look to be in the middle of the pack.

So will the trade be worth it? Short-term, yes. The Celtics will be a playoff team, and depending on the secondary moves Ainge makes they could challenge for the East a season or two from now. Will they win a championship? Probably not. They would be completely outclassed at the point and outcoached by any of the top Western Conference teams if the Celts were to reach the Finals. In the long term the trade is awful. Just plain rotten. After their 3-4 year window runs up, and they have maybe won two Eastern Conference titles, they will have nothing but a luxury tax roster with lottery team talent. It is obvious that Ainge made the move knowing his job was likely on the line, but he may well have just given himself a 4 year lease instead of long term security.

Ainge's Risk

The story that won't die has reared its head once again; Kevin Garnett might be traded.

The punchline to this joke? The trade being discussed (and in some reports the trade that is done) is KG going to Boston.

Didn't he veto that one already?

This time around the landscape is a little different from both the Celtics' and KG's perspective. For KG, Ray Allen being added to the roster along with Paul Pierce now makes Boston look a lot more attractive, perhaps attractive enough to sign a long-term extension with the Celtics. For the Celtics, having three All-Stars (Pierce, Garnett, and Allen) looks a lot better on paper than having two, and would certainly push them inot the Finals out of the weak East. Right?

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but sometimes 2 can be greater than 3. In this case adding either KG or Ray Allen, alone, could have theoretically benefited the Celtics in both the short and long term. Adding both players however, is going to essentially gut the entire Celtics roster. Just take a look at what the Celtics are reported to be giving up in the KG trade;


Al Jefferson
Gerald Green
Sebastian Telfair
Theo Ratliff

Also take a look at what they already gave up for Allen;

Jeff Green
Delonte West
Wally Szczerbiak

Taken alone, both trades would have left the Celtics with some talent to develop around their newly imported All Star. Both trades though? As great as Allen and KG are and have been in their careers, you are talking about two men in their 30's that are likely on the downsides of their careers. To get these two players the Celtics are sacrificing two decent young talents (West and Telfair), two youngsters that could become All Stars (J. Green and G. Green), and one young guy who will be an All Star, and soon (Jefferson).

In spite of the talent purge that would take place if KG were to come to town, in the mind of Danny Ainge it would be worth it if the move led to an NBA championship. The obvious question then, is will adding KG bring a title to Boston? The answer is by no means simple. Having two All Stars on one team can be hard enough (See; Nuggets, Denver), but having three? The success of the deal would hinge entirely on the ability of Pierce, Allen, and KG to come together as a cohesive unit. Whether they will be able to or not is anyone's guess.

So lets just suppose that the experiment does go pretty well. KG leads the Celtics to the Eastern Conference championship. Then what? Would a Celtics team without a PG, without a C, and without any bench depth whatsoever be able to beat the Spurs? The Suns? The Mavs? No way on earth would that happen. In a best case scenario the Celtics might win the East a couple of times in the next 3-4 years. Barring a major dose of luck in the draft however, the Celtics will not be able to add any players of substance to help their All Star trio over the hump to becoming NBA champs. And the aftermath of such a 3-4 year run could be ugly. Aging stars Pierce, Allen, and Garnett will fall off in productivity while their contracts continue to rise, and there won't be a Gerald Green, Jeff Green, or Al Jefferson waiting in the wings to pick up the slack. They will all be too busy playing on the Western Conference All Star team.

Welcome To The Big Show

Today is the day ladies and gentlemen. We will find out in just a few short hours what fate has in store for the future for many of the NBA's current and future stars. I know that many of the issues surrounding the draft have become rather muddled in the past month or so, between trade demands, rumors, mock drafts, and rampant specualtion about what will happen with just about every single major player in the NBA. To help clear the air on a few things, here is a little primer on some of the major stories that will be sorted out in the next 24 hours:

Who Goes #1?: While there has been a push by some members of the media in the past week for the Blazers to take Kevin Durant with the first pick, I just do not see it happening. And if ESPN's Ric Bucher is to be believed Portland has already told Oden and his camp that the Blazers will be selecting Oden over Durant.

Where Will KG Go?: The Garnett trade rumors have become the largest story in all of sports the past few days. "Proposed" trades have had him landing in Boston, Phoenix, and L.A., with other teams also rumored to be involved as facilitators in those various scenarios. Here is the cut and dry of the Garnett situation; if something does not happen today, it is probably not going to happen at all. In all of the most serious trade rumors the Wolve's desires have been focused on two things. For one thing, they want cap relief. That is why large contracts such as those of Kurt Thomas, Kwame Brown, and Theo Ratliff have been discussed so widely in recent days. The motivation for this is obvious. 2008 is set to be one of the most impressive free agent seasons in recent memory, and the Wolves want to put themselves in a position to get in on the action. The second thing that the Wolves desire is a high draft pick in this year's draft. The reason for this is also quite obvious, as even though this draft is perhaps not quite as deep as first advertised it is still arguably the best at the top since the 2003 Draft which saw LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh enter the league. The Wolves already own the #7 pick and acquiring either Boston's #5 pick or the Hawk's #3 pick would allow them to potentially draft two players that could be the cornerstones of their franchise for the next decade. The problem is, after the draft gets going tomorrow that window of opportunity will have evaporated, and the Wolves would have to face the prospect of either getting the best remaining package for KG (likely something from the Lakers involving Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum) or risk getting nothing for Garnett. Which is why in all likelihood, if anything happens it will be before the draft begins tonight.

Oden, Durant, and then...?: What is especially appealing about this year's draft beyond the great talent level present is one simple fact; after the top two picks, nobody has any clue what is going to happen. Don't let anyone tell you anything different. There are too many teams that either 1.) are shopping their picks in trades and 2.) are unclear as to whom they are picking that there is no real consensus as to not only which players will be picked at eahc selection, but also which teams will be doing the selecting. For example, in the past week the #3 pick, #4 pick, #5 pick, #7 pick, #8 pick, #9 pick, #11 pick, and #12 pick have all been involved in multiple (and allegedly serious) trade discussions. And beyond Al Horford at #3 there does not seem to be any consensus as to how the rest of the lottery will play out. (Though it is worth noting that at various times both Brandan Wright and Mike Conley were "locks" for the #3 spot, so take the Horford rumors with a grain of salt) What this all is going to result in is that this draft, between major trades and suprise picks, could literally be the most entertaining draft for fans in recent memory. Buckle up NBA fans, this is going to be a fun ride.

Yi Means Drama In Chinese: Not literally of course, but at the moment Yi Jianlian is the center of a great deal of intrigue as the draft approaches. The fact that he refused to work out for certain teams and rumors that he and his camp have certain teams they will refuse to play for could combine to produce a modern John Elway situation if a team like Milwaukee selects Yi.