Celtics need to heed caution in dealing for Iverson

[BDodgers at aol.com]

Safety dance
Celtics need to heed caution in dealing for Iverson
 

 
Before we begin to rant, rail and remonstrate, let's go over what should  be 
common knowledge regarding the Boston Celtics' rumored pursuit of Allen  
Iverson: 
• For all intents and purposes, Iverson and Celtics superstar Paul  Pierce 
should be able to co-exist. Both are determined offensive players who  show a 
keen interest in winning above all else, but they've also proven willing  to 
give up the ball in late-game situations to lesser players if it meant a  better 
chance at winning. It's hard to imagine Pierce balking at sharing the  ball 
with AI, and vice versa (which is more likely), with the game on the  line. 
• Rumors that would send Iverson to Denver (for Marcus Camby and  Andre 
Miller) or Los Angeles (for Clippers Corey Maggette and  Shaun Livingston) could 
only have come out of the Sixers organization, as  they try to set an outrageous 
tone for trade offers. 
• Philadelphia's best trade for Iverson, as Chris Mannix _pointed out_ 
(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/chris_mannix/07/13/iverson/index.html)
  last week, is with the  Boston Celtics. Yes, they're 40-year divisional 
rivals, but Sixers GM Billy  King can't let that cloud his vision when trying to 
dump a 31-year old whom  he owes $60 million. 
Given all of the above, the only issue left to sort out, involves how many  
assets Celtics GM Danny Ainge is willing to part with for the seven-time  All 
Star.  
Our advice: not much. 
Wally Szczerbiak, he of the hefty contract and established scoring  touch, 
would no doubt have to be involved. Sebastian Telfair, the 21-year  old point 
guard pointedly sought out by Ainge from the Trail Blazers at the  expense of 
drafting Randy Foye with the seventh pick in last month's  draft, would also 
seem to be a natural fit once he is eligible to be traded on  Aug. 28. 
>From there, things get iffy. The Celtics stole high-school phenom Gerald  
Green with the 18th pick in last year's draft, and although he disappointed  by 
showing up to the Las Vegas Summer League out of shape this year, he has the  
potential for greatness. (Of course, potential greatness at the shooting guard  
spot doesn't always drive a team to the Finals, in spite of what we saw in 
Miami  in June.) It is also doubtful Ainge wants to give up on do-it-all forward 
 Ryan Gomes, which would be wise, and the promising Delonte  West is probably 
off limits, too.  
On the flip side, we can't see Philly wanting anything to do with Theo  
Ratliff or Brian Scalabrine. Kendrick Perkins is already a  solid pivotman, so 
Ainge likely won't trade him -- and after breaking the bank  to sign Samuel 
Dalembert, King won't have much interest in him  either. 
That leaves third-year big forward Al Jefferson, who disappointed in  2005-06 
after a series of ankle injuries derailed his season, as a potential  
throw-in.  
And if that's the price, it's too high. Jefferson is only 21, can  score all 
over the paint and held his own rebounding last year in spite of two  dodgy 
ankles that left him afraid to leave the ground. The Celtics can't give up  on 
him this early, not as enticement for a Sixers team -- already backed up  
against the proverbial wall -- to send them a 31-year old waterbug. 
It doesn't matter that Gomes continues to develop, because Gomes is three  
years older than Jefferson, and whether you go by height or statistics (most  
tend to use both), he doesn't measure up to Big Al. The Celtics can't worry  
about pairing two stationary low-post players like Jefferson and Perkins,  
either, not without giving them a chance to work things out (according to 
_82games.com_ (http://www.82games.com/) , they only played 61 minutes together last  
year); because it was that sort of thinking that led Jerry Krause to dump  Elton 
Brand on the Clippers some five years ago. 
But Boston has to be careful. To paraphrase Miles Davis while deleting  a 
string of hilarious but wildly inappropriate blue words -- they can't give too  
much away. Nobody is breaking down Billy King's door to get Iverson at this  
point, and as training camp approaches, the Sixers GM can only get more and more 
 uneasy at the notion of welcoming such a publicized piece of trade bait back 
 into the fold. Ainge has to wait King out, make him sweat and only send the  
Wally/ Green/ Telfair troika (which works, cap-wise) to the Sixers for AI.  
Don't read too much into AI's pronouncements of wanting to remain in Philly.  
Pro athletes take offense at being served the wrong color Gatorade or a 
too-slow  wave from the blankety-blank in the truck they just let merge, and 
Iverson (even  after 10 seasons) is one of the more emotional types this league 
boasts. So  we can't imagine that having to address trade rumors hasn't given him 
pause  about returning to Philly for an 11th season. 
And what happens if he does return? The 76ers will pay close to $90 million  
for the right to win about 36 games, and we'll go through all this again next  
summer. Better that Philly's should get what they can for AI from the 
Celtics,  eschew defense altogether and run the offense through Chris Webber for as  
many times as he's able to suit up. With his ever-limited range of movement 
and  exorbitant contract, C-Webb isn't going anywhere, and you can still run an  
exciting high or low post offense through his mitts -- especially with a 
runner  like Szczerbiak and a slasher like Green on board. 
For the Celtics, a pairing of Iverson and Pierce could do some damage and  
provide the must-see buzz the Celtics so desperately crave. AI, in and of  
himself, won't bring the team down. He's not some cancer, on or off court that  
will prevent a team from winning. 
Still, the C's have to realize that dealing for Iverson signals the end of  
three years of rebuilding, of smartly acquiring lottery-level prospects with  
mid-to-low first round picks. 
Don't get cute and try to snag Sam "Goaltending? What?" Dalembert or move  
Jefferson along, and keep in mind that this trade is potentially the product of  
three years of rebuilding, of three years of smartly acquiring lottery-level  
prospects with mid-to-low first round picks. If they give up too much for AI, 
 they won't have enough offensive firepower to force AI into giving up the 
rock  for long stretches. They want to turn Allen into an efficient offensive  
fireplug, a 1A to Pierce's "1" -- not a second option, but close. If this trade 
 decimates the Celtic roster, then the dream scenario is lost. Szczerbiak and 
 Telfair, with Pierce and Delonte West already on board, are superfluous on 
this  Celtic roster. Jefferson is not. 
Ainge has shown himself to be one of the more astute GMs in the league, even  
if the Celtics record (an average of 38 wins a year during his reign) doesn't 
 attest to that. The worst mistake he could make is giving too much to a  
beleaguered GM that has nowhere else to turn. His legacy as head of the Celtics  
is riding on this deal.