Celtics Journal: Nate Robinson’s youth isn’t enough for Boston; Celtics interested in Michael Finley
Boston point guard Nate Robinson has offered a burst on energy off the bench for a weary Celtics team, but that alone hasn't been enough to solve Boston's woes. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
By Gethin Coolbaugh
The Celtics season to date can be described as a large scale version of the tortoise and the hare.
Boston, the hare, jumped out to a 24-6 start and appeared to be one at the league’s top tier once again.
Now, Cleveland, Orlando, and Atlanta, the respective tortoises, have taken the lead in the season-long race.
As for the Celtics, who are now 36-21 and fourth in the Eastern Conference, what’s left is one tired basketball team.
To his credit, Boston General Manager Danny Ainge attempted to address to age issue on the current roster when he acquired Nate Robinson from New York.
However, Robinson alone isn’t the savior of this team.
Ever since his arrival on Thursday, February 19, Robinson has totaled 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his first three games with Boston.
Eddie House, who the Celtics shipped to the Knicks in the Robinson deal, has 57 points, 22 rebounds and 21 assists in six games.
In the Knicks 124-93 loss to Cleveland on Monday night, former Celtic Bill Walker scored a career-high 21 points to lead New York.
So far, the Knicks have the better end of the bargain in this deal.
Yet Ainge’s decision to ship House and Giddens out of town was not a move made for the now.
Robinson will benefit the Celtics for years to come, while House is less than five years away from retirement.
As for Bill Walker, no one was really certain of his long-term potential in Boston due to the lack of available minutes.
The same can be said for J.R. Giddens, who never received adequate playing time with the Celtics.
The window is closing rapidly on this Celtics roster, and in my opinion, is only days away from shutting for good.
While I commend Ainge for adding Robinson, he did not do enough to fix the age problem on this roster.
The best way to address it would have been to trade Ray Allen for young talent, such as Golden State’s Monta Ellis or Sacramento’s Kevin Martin.
Ridding the Celtics of Allen would not have been a popular move in Beantown, but it is necessary.
With the trade deadline come and gone, Ainge missed his biggest chance of adding youth. Allen was a big trading chip, but with his contract expiring this year, he lost out.
By maintaining the status quo, Ainge is going all-in on the Celtics chances of winning another title this year.
That’s about as likely as Mike Krzyzewski leaving powerhouse Duke to coach the Nets.
And on that topic, when the Celtics lose to the Knicks in the manner that they did on Saturday, it makes one question if they are even capable of making it past the opening round of the playoffs.
Since Ainge has opted to ride out the championship title wave, Boston only has one option if they want to contend for a spot in the NBA Finals this season.
In order to compete, the Celtics must add some talent via free agency.
Otherwise, you can kiss any hopes of a championship goodbye.
The Boston Celtics are reportedly interesting in signing former San Antonio guard/forward Michael Finley, who was waived by the Spurs on Monday. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
CELTICS INTERESTED IN FINLEY
League sources have indicated that the Celtics are seeking out whether or not former Spurs forward Michael Finley would be interested in playing in Boston.
The Celtics are awaiting the final list of players that were bought out from the NBA.
Finley was bought out by San Antonio on Monday, allowing him to sign with another team and still participate in the playoffs this season.
“Michael Finley was an outstanding professional during his time with the Spurs,” said Greg Popovich, head coach of the Spurs. “Both on and off the court he was great example for all to follow.”
Finley, who was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft (21st pick, 21st overall), has played in San Antonio for five seasons.
In that time, Finley has averaged 8.5 points and 2.7 rebounds.
For his career, Finley averages 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and three assists in 16 seasons.
While Finley, who is 36 year old, is not a long-term solution, he gives the Celtics another set of fresh legs off of the bench.
Boston’s nucleus is centered around aging veterans, so anny extra talent off the bench will come in handy down the stretch.
Gethin Coolbaugh is the Associate Editor of Boston Sports U18. He can be reached at 774-279-1995 or at gethin.coolbaugh@bostonsportsu18.com. You can also visit Gethin Coolbaugh’s official website and follow Gethin Coolbaugh on Twitter as well as his official NBA Twitter account.
