Boston Celtic fans almost choked on their cup of New England Clam "Chow-dah." I for one would have joined them except I now live in the unfriendly confines of Florida. The announcement was so shocking we all still feel the vibrations of perceived betrayal. We all questioned Danny Ainge's decision to trade the one player that made himself a Celtic through his dedication and hard work—Kendrick Perkins.
Celtic fans saw Perkins grow from a boy to a man, and they were pleased to call him their own; he cut his NBA teeth in their city. Perk is not a superstar, but he was the little-big cog that embodied Ubuntu by sacrificing for the greater good of the team.
Now, in the year of his free agency, he wants to get paid and so he will—just not by the Celtics. Ainge's grand vision of things does not include giving money to an undersized center that has no discernible offense and is coming off major knee surgery.
The Celtics did very well by acquiring Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic for Perk and Nate Robinson. You can tell if a player really meant a lot to an organization by where they are traded. Being part of a young championship foundation featuring an unassuming superstar like Kevin Durant isn't a bad trade-off. After he sulks for these next few weeks in rehab, he will really realize his good fortunes and move on.
As will the rest of the Celtics.
Danny had been where the Celtics are now as a player, and he refused to let history tear down what he has so shrewdly built. This move was painful but was absolutely necessary in order to have a smooth transition to the Rajon Rondo era. Yes, it is here, it is now and Rondo has to be the one to lead them to Banner 18 this year.
Surrounding him with young, talented, playoff-tested, high-IQ veterans is important; Rondo will not stand for players who don't think the game—not after lacing it up with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Jeff Green gives them the possibility of that happening.
Green is an intriguing talent; he actually plays a similar style to Pierce; he is just more athletic. Before you laugh at what I am saying, answer me this: What one thing does Paul Pierce do particularly well? We do know he has an in-between game, is a reliable three-point shooter and will punish you in the post. He simply gives the game what it needs. Jeff can do all those things, is a better ball handler and is longer and more athletic than Pierce.
Best of all, he is only 24 years old and knows how to play with other superstars; so there will be no ego problems. He is going back to the type of offense he is familiar with from his Georgetown days; one that is predicated on movement without the ball and not isolation.
He also is receiving valuable knowledge from a hall-of-fame franchise with four future hall-of-famers one of which happens to be named Paul Pierce. This is something LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant can never get. Green gets to see it up close and personal every day; he will listen and learn his craft and the Celtic way from Paul Pierce.
Celtic fans may yet point back to this trade as one that possibly gave them the future championship duo of Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green.
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