Celtics Central

It is now official. 28 year old, 6′ 6″ versatile guard-forward, Marquis Daniels is a Celtic.

The press conference was yesterday and Daniels was true to his word and signed for the Biannual Exception of $1.99 million for one year.

After a league wide search for a trading partner to try to get Daniels something closer to his true value, perhaps $3.5 -4.5 million, on a multi year deal, the Celtics and Daniels came to terms.

The 2nd team All Rookie (03-04) guard from Auburn will make the Celtics his 3rd team in the 7th year of his career. A career role player, who has risen to the occasion when asked to start, will be a welcome addition to a team that needed to shore up its bench.

At the press conference, Daniels afforded an easy going image, appearing in a t-shirt with a cartoon drawing of a fox, and shorts and sandals.  These quotes come from the NESN video of the press conference. You can view the whole video here.

Danny Ainge and owner Steve Pagliuca sat on either side of Daniels as all who came commented on the length of time (7 weeks) this deal has absorbed before consummation.

Danny Ainge then described the kind of player Daniels is…

We think he brings a great deal of versatility to our team. He’s played the one, the two, the three, the four. He’s got playoff experience. He’s a smart player. …..He’s kid who brings a level of experience and character to our team.

He can handle the ball. He can score. He can defend. He can defend multiple positions. He allows a coach to play a lot of different combinations.

I could see him playing with big line ups this year actually being the back up point. I could also see him playing some small forward in some smaller line ups…..His versatility will allow Doc a lot of different combinations.

Marquis added the obligatory..

I’m very happy to be here and get it done. I know it’s been a long wait. Happy to be here and get banner 18 and get things going.

Danny added with a smile…

“This was the acquisition that never ended.”

Danny later added that both he and Doc have liked Marquis Daniels for along while. Danny said that Doc mentioned Marquis (as a player of interest) when Doc first came to the Celtics. Danny….

‘Doc and I have both been fans of Marquis throughout his career, and that a little bit unusual circumstance.’

Marquis careers numbers are:

9.4 points on .456 fg%, with 73% foul shooting, 2.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds in 23.5 minutes  a game.

At 24% from the three point line, Marquis is not a distance shooter. His game is mid range and driving with deceptive moves around the hoop. He is an energy guy, who can D up best against shooting guards and small forwards.

He is a solid ball handler who has played the point, at times, on both the Mavericks and Pacers. It sounds as if Doc may try him there as well. He will mostly back up Ray Allen and perhaps Paul Pierce.

When asked to talk about solidifying the bench with Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis and now Marquis Daniels, Danny responded…

“Well, Marquis is a starter. He has been a starter in his career. He started last year……

(With Wallace, Glen Davis and now Daniels) you could make an argument that we have three starters on our bench this year.

We have great depth and great experience off our bench now.”

Danny mentioned that in case of injury, any of those three can step right in and not miss a beat.

That was a problem at times last season, and the Celtics did well with limited funds in filling most of the holes in their depth.

Danny finished by saying that, ‘We are happy with our team right now.’

So am I.

There is still a question of who guards the big small forwards (when Pierce doesn’t) at this point. That may to be addressed during the season if it proves to be a problem that Pierce, Daniels and Bill Walker can’t solve together.

Right now, everyone is ready to start pre-season. The healthy and revitalized Celtics are ready to mount their assault on the 2010 NBA Title.

Call the site NBA Central for this one.

When today’s signing by the Timberwolves of Milwaukee’s promising young point guard was announced, my first thought was why were the Bucks so uninterested in him?

Some say it was because Ramon and Coach Skiles didn’t always see eye to eye. Just what player(s) does Scott Skiles always see eye-to-eye with? Name one.

It’s true that Sessions is more offensive minded than defensive. It is true that Sessions would rather score than pass. It is true that he makes young player mistakes. So what does Skiles do? He drafts Brandon Jennings, another young point guard that is offensive minded. Jennings prefers scoring to passing. Jennings doesn’t play much defense either. So….what gives?

That required contacting someone closer to the situation. Gery Woelfel, Bucks beat writer for the Racine Journal Times was kind enough to oblige.

The boiled down conversation (paraphrase) went something like this…

“Hey Gery, I’m trying to get a feel for the need for drafting Brandon Jennings, and letting Ramon Sessions walk away Scott free (pun). Sessions looks like a promising young point guard who did fairly well last season under the tutelage of taskmaster Scott Skiles”

I should add that the Bucks have a week to match the offer (4 years for $16 million), but no one feels they will do that.

Gery: Ramon did very well. I really like the kid and think he has a great future.

TH: Then, beside the money angle, what drove the decision to take Jennings and let Sessions walk? They seem to have some similarities as offense first, score first players.

Gery: That is true. They are both that.

TH: Then what does Skiles see in Jennings that he didn’t see in Sessions? Obviously, Jennings has more raw talent overall, being a first round draft choice versus a second rounder who ended up surprising people.

Gery: That has a lot to do with it. I think that Skiles was worried a bit about Sessions ball handling ability, especially under pressure. Ramon is better with one hand than the other, too. Jennings can handle and bring it up under pressure.

TH: Jennings is better bringing the ball up?

Gery: Definitely. He is a better ball handler now and will only get better. As I say, I like Ramon. He is going to have a nice future in the league. He could become one of the league’s top point guards. While Jennings and Sessions both like to shoot, Jennings sees the court better when he does pass.

Thanks to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times for his insight.

Another thing I discovered is that Sessions wasn’t very efficient even at his stength – driving and scoring. NBA HotSpots has him at a below average 52% around the hoop. Make Sessions go right and he is much worse (38%). Even accounting for his getting fouled 4.5 times  a a game, which will increase that efficiency, those numbers should be much better.

The Bucks not only wanted to keep expenses down. They did not want to give a young point guard who has some things to work on, and just one solid year under his belt, a long term deal for something near the MLE (which is what the Sessions camp wanted).

After drafting 19 year old Jennings after he played in Europe last season, Brandon had a solid summer league averaging 8 assists, 14.6 points, 5.3 steals, but 6.2 turnovers (ouch).  Jennings only shot 37% from the field, but 43% from downtown. That is another improvement over Sessions who does not have a viable outside shot.

So the Bucks have a raw, athletic, 6′ 1″, 19 year old with more overall potential and can work him in with veteran Luke Ridnour. All for much less dollars. On top of that he sees the court better even now, and is stronger in bringing it up under pressure. Mystery solved.

The Bucks also brought in 6′ 5″ Euro guard Roko Ukic, who is deceptively quick, defensive minded and has a long wingspan. Maybe Skiles will try to mold him into a Kirk Hinrich type player.

One thing that Sessions is better at right now, is assists to turnovers with a solid 3-1 ratio. and Ramon can score already. He is a quick and natural driver who looks for contact. He dropped 44 on the Pistons last season. He also has the Bucks single game assist record with 24. After what I’ve read about recording assists, maybe we better check that game tape again. Seriously, while not overly creative, Sessions can drive and dish capably.

Kahn Rebounds from Rubio Loss with Sessions Signing

After losing out on Ricky Rubio (for the next two years, at least), David Kahn spun on a dime and signed the best young point guard still available, Milwaukee’s refugee, Ramon Sessions. Not the Clippers, not the Knicks, but the……. Timberwolves?

With some grave Kahn-cerns after failing to Kahn-nect Rubio to the NBA, David’s Kahn-quest of Sessions will make things more interesting in watching a re-Kahnstruction job taking place in Minny. (Someone please help me, I Kahn’t seem to stop.)

I first took real notice of Session in his rookie season when the moribund Bucks played the Celtics twice near the end of the season.

Sessions had just come back from the D-league, where he impressed enough to get the call and the playing time to finish out a terrible Bucks season.

He went for 13 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals in 37 minutes against the league’s top defense in his first game. Fluke, right?

They played again again three nights later and Sessions had 8 points, 14 assists, and 5 rebounds in that game. The feeling was…..Who was that guy?

Making his mark as a penetrator, Sessions finished a sophomore campaign with 12.4 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds.

With his short comings noted (Ramon’s, not Kahn’s), did Kahn over pay for Sessions? Who was he bidding against? I always ask that question in a situation like this. Only NY was said to have a deal on the table and it was said to be a one year deal – not anywhere near what the Wolves offered.

At any rate, Sessions will get a real chance to play meaningful minutes, at times as a two guard,along side rookie Jonny Flynn. From ESPN’s Chris Sheriden, Kahn says…

“Ramon has the ability to play both guard positions, and thus will be able to complement the members of our current backcourt.”

At 23, Sessions isn’t at all old but, you do wonder how high is up for Ramon. With a rookie head coach in Rambis, a team in rebuild mode, and a rejection by Rubio, Sessions got his money.

He will get the playing time, but will he be getting a good environment for growth? Time will tell.