Celtics Central

The media reports are heating up and I found this from last night’s Celtic/Clipper game from Hoopsworld….

‘* If Sam Cassell isn’t on his way to Boston he sure could of fooled me after the game. Dude almost looked like he was already a member of the Celtics when he came in the locker room. First, he gave Ray Allen a big hug and talked to him for a couple of minutes. Then, searching for his good friend Kevin Garnett, he asked: “Where’s Ticket?” A few seconds later he marched directly into the training room and started shooting the breeze with his good friend for awhile. The laughter from the room rang out for a good couple of minutes.

* Can we please just get this thing done and get Sam to Boston already. I’m just sayin’.”

And now ESPN has this today….

After a frenzy of activity by contending teams this month, it appears the Boston Celtics’ response is to add a 38-year-old point guard who has missed 15 games this season.

Three sources said that the Clippers would buy out the remainder of Sam Cassell’s contract this week and that he would sign with the Celtics assuming he passes through waivers.

So, it sounds close to a done deal.

But what about Rajon Rondo? He is getting better by the minute, it seems.

And don’t think Rajon hasn’t noticed all of the talk about needing another PG. Remember the last time the Clippers played the Celtics and Sam was playing? Rondo played with a vengeance…or a point to prove…and ate up Cassell so badly that Sam laid a hard foul on him on one of the many drives where Rondo blew by Cassell on his way to the hoop. Rajon scored a career high 24 points in that game, and looked spectacular doing it. Hello, Sam. Here is what you have to replace.

Since then, Rondo has kept up his improvement, and is getting closer and closer to what everyone thinks Rondo can be, a complete and true point guard. But Rondo offers more than that. Rajon stepped up his scoring and rebounding in a big way when Garnett went out. He was as much the reason why they continued winning as any of the other role players. Perhaps nearly as much as Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Where Rajon is behind Cassell offensively is with his shot, and even ball distribution, which is critical in the play-offs. But he is gaining experience there every game. What Rondo can’t offer is leadership and experience. The funny thing is….the poster boy for not needing experience to win an NBA championship is…..the man who says he can offer it – Sam Cassell. Sam won a title (2 in a row actually) with the Rockets and Hakeem as a rookie point guard and played a significant part in the accomplishment.

So….couldn’t Rondo do the same? Isn’t Sam living proof of that? Ironic, isn’t it?

With Sam glad handing the Celtics already (granted, he is friends with Kevin Garnett) it seems possible this will happen very soon.

If it does, Rondo will say all of the right things. Doc will say all of the right things. Sam will say all of the right things. Well maybe not, at least for now. In fact, here is what he says about Rondo and himself in the Adande article in ESPN…

“Can I be effective with that team?” Cassell said before the Clippers played Boston Monday night. “I think that team is lacking … Rondo is a great young talent. In the playoffs, it takes more than talent to win playoff basketball games. Leadership means everything. Knowing who to get the ball to, knowing when to run, knowing when to set it up. I have experience.”

Though I’ve read that they are interested, Denver and Dallas don’t seem to have a chance. It sounds like Sam is positioning himself for the Celtics.

For the record, I’m all for getting Sam. For the reasons mentioned and one more – the referees – they will give Sam more of the benefit of the doubt than Rondo. It’s not fair. It isn’t the way it should be. But it is the way it is.

And few other things…who would you want shooting free throws near the end of the 4th quarter in a close play-off game? Sam has proven to be a clutch performer. Rondo is shooting 61.9% from the line. As good of a driver as Rondo is, Sam will be equal or better at it this year. Maybe not next year, but the team is not worried about next year.

But to add a little more fuel to the discussion…Sam was a much worse shooter (42.7%) than Rondo (50%) is today, in Sam’s 2nd year, but a much better foul shooter (84.3%). Still the move makes tons of sense. As far as defense goes, which is a main argument against Sam, he will give defenses more problems than Rondo will, at this stage of Rondo’s career.

Getting a Sam Cassell, for next to nothing is the right thing to do. As far as chemistry, it is my guess that it is Rondo’s ego that will need massaging. Rondo is very competitive. You see it in his game. You see it in his eyes when you talk to him. Rondo feels his own greatness on the near horizon. He is certainly not saying that. I am. At least that is how he plays. One day, he might be part of the ‘Big Four’ or whatever they will call them. It is possible that he could be that good.

But I will give you another fact from Cassell’s championship run as a rookie. Sam played in just 17 minutes a game as a rookie and 23 minutes in his 2nd year. So Sam had to share the position and the spotlight with a veteran named Kenny Smith (28 minutes, 4.2 assists). In the play-offs that first year, Sam averaged 21 minutes and Kenny Smith 30 minutes. Perhaps the minutes will be reversed, but I’m sure that Rondo will be willing to do the same, should the apparent pick up of ‘Sam I Am’ actually happen.

Playing for an NBA title does that to good players.