Delonte West, Shaquille O’Neal Risky Chemistry Moves for Celtics

Filed under: Celtics, Heat, NBA Transactions

It’s going to take a chemist, and not just a coach, to lead the Boston Celtics this season.

Things just got more complicated for Doc Rivers.

The Celtics improved their talent level this summer by first adding Shaquille O’Neal and now Delonte West, but they also dove into some risky territory with two potentially divisive players who could change the locker room makeup.

If chemistry really is such a big part of the success or failure of a team, like so many coaches say, then the Celtics admittedly are taking a chance.

It could win them another championship. Or it could destroy what they have.

“Chemistry is a delicate thing. I understand that, and I’m as cautious as anyone with it. I guarantee you, I’ll be keeping my eye on it,” Rivers told FanHouse Wednesday evening, confirming the Celtics’ addition of West earlier in the day. “I don’t know yet if we can make it work. It is going to be interesting, that’s for sure.”

 

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Report: Shaq ‘Close’ to Joining Celtics

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Rumors, NBA Free Agents

Big Shamrock? Green Monster? Green Giant? How ’bout them Shaqqles? Get yourself some Excedrin, kids. The puns are about to get out of control: Reports indicate that center Shaquille O’Neal is shipping up to Boston to join the Celtics.

Comcast SportsNet New England’s A. Sherrod Blakely reports that Shaq is “close” to signing with the Boston Celtics. That report has also been confirmed by CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger.

FanHouse was the first to report O’Neal interest in joining the Celtics last month.

Adding the future Hall of Fame center raises the Celtics’ frontcourt to a higher level than last year, even after the retirement of Rasheed Wallace, especially considering the addition of Jermaine O’Neal. Even with Kendrick Perkins on the shelf until at least December, the C’s boast a lineup of big, tough defenders that have the same veteran mindset as the rest of their Eastern Conference champion roster.

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Austin Rivers a Chip Off the Old Doc

Filed under: Recruiting

ORLANDO, Fla. — Austin Rivers was 7 years old, sitting in the wooden bleachers alongside his father at Winter Park (Fla.) High School, watching older brother Jeremiah playing age-group, travel-team basketball.

“Dad, why don’t they switch to zone defense?” Austin started.

“Dad, why do they keep running that pick-and-roll play?” he asked two minutes later.

“Dad, why aren’t they boxing out,” he continued.

“Dad, why can’t I play on this team?” he persisted.

Father Doc Rivers, head coach of the Orlando Magic at the time (2000), was watching closely like every other parent at the game. He turned to his younger son and smiled, both a little surprised and amused by the inquisitive and precocious basketball mind sitting next to him.

“Good questions,” Doc said, then turned back to the game. “You’ll get your turn.”

 

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Despite Champion Lakers, NBA Seeing Power Shift From West to East

Filed under: 76ers, Bobcats, Bucks, Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Heat, Jazz, Knicks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nets, Nuggets, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Wizards, Eastern, Western, Thunder, NBA Free Agents

LAS VEGAS — This continental divide started in 1996 when Shaquille O’Neal bolted from Orlando in the East to the Lakers in the West. It really got going when Michael Jordan retired from Chicago in the East in 1998.

But those in the East are getting tired of having sand kicked in their faces.

Yes, the Western Conference still has won nine of the past 12 NBA titles and 10 of the last 11 seasonal inter-conference battles. Yet there finally is starting to be some chortling in the East.

After losing the conference regular season match-up for nine straight years, the East finally broke through in 2008-09 to win 51.3 percent of the games between the conferences. The West came back to win 54.7 percent of the battles last season (it didn’t help that New Jersey and New York, in trying to clear salary-cap room, weren’t trying to win). But this summer has shown the East could end up being the dominant conference this decade.

Of those generally believed to be the top eight free agents, seven signed with East teams. Five (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce) stayed in the East and two went from West to East (Amar’e Stoudemire from Phoenix to New York and Carlos Boozer from Utah to Chicago). The only one to end up with a West team was Dirk Nowitzki re-signing with Dallas.

 

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Ray Allen Agrees to Stay With Celtics

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Free Agents

Ray Allen was one of Boston’s big question marks for next season, after a Celtics campaign where the team finished just a single game from seeing their aging core secure a second NBA title in a span of three years. But fans in New England will get to see the band get back together for perhaps one final run at glory, after Allen on Wednesday agreed to return to the Celtics next season.

The deal, first reported by ESPN’s Marc Stein, is for two years and $20 million, with Allen holding a player option for the second year.

Allen was the last piece of Boston’s current puzzle that needed to fall into place for next season. Once Paul Pierce re-signed after opting out of his deal to become a free agent, and Doc Rivers made it official that he would indeed return to fulfill the final year of his contract, the decision to come back was likely made a whole lot easier for the Celtics‘ sharp-shooter — especially for a completely reasonable $10 million per season.

 

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Celtics Not Afraid of Miami ‘Superteam’

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Heat, Knicks, Magic, NBA Free Agents

ORLANDO, Fla. — The defending Eastern Conference champions aren’t shivering in their sneakers about Miami having unleashed a possible superteam.

Neither Boston general manager Danny Ainge nor Doc Rivers, both of whom indeed were wearing sneakers Wednesday along with their players at the Air Tran Orlando Pro Summer League, appeared too concerned after the news broke Wednesday that Toronto forward Chris Bosh will be signing with the Heat, joining guard Dwyane Wade, soon to be re-signed.

“We’ll find out that later,” said Rivers, asked if Miami has become a contender with the move. “You got to play. But, clearly, they’ve improved their basketball team. But I’m not going to go ahead and say there’s a shift (in East power) as I’m concerned. … We went through it three years ago (when the Celtics won the title in 2007-08 with newly acquired stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen). We did it quick, but I don’t think anybody anticipated us doing it that quick. … We’ll see.”

Ainge didn’t sound too worried about Bosh going to the Heat.

“Well, Miami will be very good,” Ainge said. “But I’m working on what we’re trying to do to become a better team. I’m not worried about what everybody else is doing.”

 

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Kevin Durant Feels Blessed by Five-Year Contract Extension

Filed under: Celtics, Thunder, NBA Free Agents

ORLANDO, Fla. — It might have been the easiest negotiation in NBA history.

Oklahoma City executives showed up at Kevin Durant’s home at 11:01 p.m. CT June 30 (12:01 a.m. ET July 1), and offered the star forward a maximum deal. He accepted it on the spot.

“It was a pretty easy contract,” Durant said in an interview Wednesday with FanHouse at the Air Tran Orlando Pro Summer League, shortly after he had announced on Twitter that he had agreed to sign a five-year contract extension. “They came over at 11:01 and they offered me the deal, and it wasn’t something that I can turn down. … I’m blessed to get maximum money. That’s all you can ask for.”

Durant, whose extension begins in 2011-12 and takes him through 2015-16, could have asked for the ability to opt out of his deal in the fifth season. But he said that didn’t interest him.

“This is where I’m committed,” Durant said. “This is where I want to be. I’m a loyal person. I’m happy.”

 

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Celtics Looking Strongly at Frank to Replace Thibodeau as Assistant

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Rumors, NBA Coaches

ORLANDO, Fla. — Former New Jersey head coach Lawrence Frank has a good chance of landing on Boston’s bench as an assistant to replace Tom Thibodeau, who left last month to become Chicago’s head coach.

“He’s a very strong candidate,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said in an interview Wednesday with FanHouse.

Rivers interviewed Frank on Tuesday at the Air Tran Orlando Summer League. The two went to dinner.

“I’ve always liked Lawrence,” Rivers said. “I think he would be a great assistant on our staff.”

Rivers said Frank, fired by the Nets last November and who recently has been working as an NBA TV analyst, wants the job. But Rivers said it’s not a done deal.

Share “I’ve got to talk to two more guys, and hopefully those guys won’t go somewhere else,” said Rivers, not identifying the two other possible candidates. “I’m in no rush.”

Thibodeau, a defensive specialist, was Boston’s lead assistant.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com or on Twitter @christomasson

 

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Celts’ Rivers: Focus on Possible Departure Was Overblown

Filed under: Celtics, Lakers, NBA Coaches

ORLANDO, Fla. — Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was sitting next to Celtics general manager Danny Ainge when he said talk of his departure from the team was blown out of proportion.

“I wish he’d told me that,” Ainge interjected. “I lost sleep.”

After The Finals, it was like Waiting for Godot as both coaches took their time before officially announcing they would return for next season. Finally last week, with the anticipation of white smoke billowing out of a Vatican chimney to announce a new pope, word came that both Rivers and the Lakers‘ Phil Jackson will return.

Even though Ainge and others were hanging by fish wire, wondering if Rivers would return, he shrugged off the two-week stretch when there was uncertainty after The Finals concluded June 17.

“It was really no different than any other year,” Rivers said in an interview with FanHouse at the Air Tran Orlando Pro Summer League. “It was a much bigger deal made about it than it was. It’s what we do every year. We (his family) go home and relax and we sit around.”

 

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Rasheed Wallace Biding Time as Celtics Plot Moves

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Free Agents

ORLANDO, Fla. — Rasheed Wallace is taking his time in officially announcing his retirement. That’s just fine with the Boston Celtics.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Monday that Wallace is assisting the team by not filing retirement papers any time soon.

“He’s trying to help us out by waiting, which is good,” Rivers said of Wallace, due to make $6.32 million next season and $6.79 million in 2011-12. “He’s still our property so we can use that in a trade or something. He’s doing a great thing for us.”

While there has been some speculation Wallace might not retire now that Rivers has assured that he will return to the Celtics and star forward Paul Pierce is on the verge of signing a new contract, Rivers said the chances are “very little or none” the forward will play next season.

 

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