Cassell to Sign Contract With Celtics Next Week!!!

[eitanr]

Sam was a mid-season acquisition so it's hard to tell what he could have done. Last season he was a 14 and 5.5 PG. I doubt he has really dropped off so significantly even with his age as a factor. With a proper training camp, he should be ready to go this season and should show improvement.

Figuring the depth chart is where we should look more closely. It would seem that backup SF is fairly open and that is where the battle could be.

PF K. Garnett/ L. Powe/ G. Davis
SF P. Pierce/? / B. Scalbrine
C K. Perkins/ POB
SG R. Allen/ T. Allen/ E. House
PG R. Rondo/ S. Cassell/ G. Pruitt

I really see Pruitt as a lock since it doesn't do much to place him in the D league again. This way, Boston could increase his value with extended minutes here or there. I also see Doc still liking a 5 guard rotation with the Allens, Rondo, Cassell, and House seeing time. Backup SF is the x factor here. I think if D-Miles shows some positive signs he is on the club.

[tombattor]

Cassell played his 14 years or whatever career he had in the NBA the same way as he did in his time with the Celtics. Pound the ball, back down his guy and call his own number. What we need on this team is someone who can run the offense, keep the ball and the offense moving and play some D, none of which is Cassell's strength.

For anyone to think that he'll all of a sudden change into something he has never been is banking on false hope.

[tjm384]

Kobe why so mad?

[sully00]

Cassell played his 14 years or whatever career he had in the NBA the same way as he did in his time with the Celtics. Pound the ball, back down his guy and call his own number. What we need on this team is someone who can run the offense, keep the ball and the offense moving and play some D, none of which is Cassell's strength.

For anyone to think that he'll all of a sudden change into something he has never been is banking on false hope.

Well actually Sam can do a lot of those things (not the defense), all admitted that last season he never really got a chance to even learn the plays because the team wasn't having full pracices, he was just flying by the seat of his pants and at times it certainly showed.

I don't really need to see Sam for 20 mpg but I don't need to see Eddie House running the point for 20 mpg either. Obviously Doc and Danny thought alot more of Sam's time here than you, I think a lot of that had to do with off the court and in the locker room. Perhaps he is not all that is evil in the world.

[humblebum]

The more I think about this move the more comfortable I become with it. Sam brings a ridiculous amount of experience, knowledge, and confidence. I also think he brings a critical element to locker room chemistry which can't be overlooked. With a more intensive and thorough knowledge of the offensive schemes, and possibly a couple plays set up around his strengths, I can see Cassell finding a niche on this team. And if Sam replaces one thing we lost in Posey it's the confidence, off the bench, to take the big shots when needed.

Let me also add that, and this is possibly the most critical element here, Sam Cassell allows Tony Allen to do what he does best off the bench. The combo of House and Tony Allen brings the question of who's the primary ball handler... if Tony has to assume that role he tends to lose focus on his real strengths; one, two dribble slashes to the hoop, offensive rebounding, etc. With Sam as the primary ball handler it allows Tony to play off the ball where he is most effective. Considering how important a piece Tony is to this team it makes sense to bring in a PG who can bring the best out of TA... as long as Doc convinces Sam to facilitate the offense.

[tombattor]

Well actually Sam can do a lot of those things (not the defense), all admitted that last season he never really got a chance to even learn the plays because the team wasn't having full pracices, he was just flying by the seat of his pants and at times it certainly showed.

I don't really need to see Sam for 20 mpg but I don't need to see Eddie House running the point for 20 mpg either. Obviously Doc and Danny thought alot more of Sam's time here than you, I think a lot of that had to do with off the court and in the locker room. Perhaps he is not all that is evil in the world.

I love it when fools break out, "Danny and thought a lot more of ------ than you" arguments. Well, of course they did. That doesn't mean every move they make is the right one. What it does do is shows that you have nothing substantial to back up your point.

[sully00]

Well actually Sam can do a lot of those things (not the defense), all admitted that last season he never really got a chance to even learn the plays because the team wasn't having full pracices, he was just flying by the seat of his pants and at times it certainly showed.

I don't really need to see Sam for 20 mpg but I don't need to see Eddie House running the point for 20 mpg either. Obviously Doc and Danny thought alot more of Sam's time here than you, I think a lot of that had to do with off the court and in the locker room. Perhaps he is not all that is evil in the world.

I love it when fools break out, "Danny and thought a lot more of ------ than you" arguments. Well, of course they did. That doesn't mean every move they make is the right one. What it does do is shows that you have nothing substantial to back up your point.

I would watch who I was calling a fool, I wasn't making an argument I was stating an observation. But I don't expect you to know the difference because as usual you seem to be patting yourself on the back for being right about something that hasn't happened yet.

Still want to trade Big Al for Zach Randolph?

[tombattor]

I would watch who I was calling a fool, I wasn't making an argument I was stating an observation. But I don't expect you to know the difference because as usual you seem to be patting yourself on the back for being right about something that hasn't happened yet.

Still want to trade Big Al for Zach Randolph?

Well, I can't be right every time.

I'm not sure what you're referring to about my patting myself on the back, but my point was that you are a fool to bring up the pathetic and tired-ass "Well I'm sure they spent more time than you or I'm sure they know better than you" BS.

[sully00]

It is not "tired ass" it is a fact. Part of everyone's uproar about Sam is that he jerked with the chemistry on the team, by bringing him back they are providing evidence to the contrary.

We can't know if bringing back Sam is a good idea or a bad one until it happens, your saying it is a mistake before it happens - that is the definition of a fool. You can have an opinion on it one way or the other that doesn't make it a fact.

I don't think Sam is the ideal 18 mpg back up pg, at the same time I know Eddie House and Tony Allen aren't either. I hope Gabe Pruitt is but I don't necessarily like the odds when the hopes are an NBA championship.

Sam gives us some insurance at a weak position and he seems to understand his role. I agree he isn't going to stop being Sam Cassell, I never was confused about that when everyone seemed to think he was Jason Kidd and AI or wrapped up in one. But with a better understanding of the offense and having a chance to play with guys more I think he will do a better job of facilitating the offense.

I also think he will shoot the ball quite a bit and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The bad thing is leaving him in there when it isn't working and the same goes for Gabe, Tony, and Eddie. These guys are going to be this team's primary offensive options off the bench they need to be aggressive offensively and defensively, Doc has to sit them down if they are cold or worse tentative.

[GreenGrizz]

We were complaining about lack of bench scoring before the trade deadline. I just don't know what to judge him. If we sign him for coming off the bench to limitopponents from getting some room to breath, I guess that is the plan..

[tombattor]

It is not "tired ass" it is a fact. Part of everyone's uproar about Sam is that he jerked with the chemistry on the team, by bringing him back they are providing evidence to the contrary.

We can't know if bringing back Sam is a good idea or a bad one until it happens, your saying it is a mistake before it happens - that is the definition of a fool. You can have an opinion on it one way or the other that doesn't make it a fact.

I don't think Sam is the ideal 18 mpg back up pg, at the same time I know Eddie House and Tony Allen aren't either. I hope Gabe Pruitt is but I don't necessarily like the odds when the hopes are an NBA championship.

Sam gives us some insurance at a weak position and he seems to understand his role. I agree he isn't going to stop being Sam Cassell, I never was confused about that when everyone seemed to think he was Jason Kidd and AI or wrapped up in one. But with a better understanding of the offense and having a chance to play with guys more I think he will do a better job of facilitating the offense.

I also think he will shoot the ball quite a bit and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The bad thing is leaving him in there when it isn't working and the same goes for Gabe, Tony, and Eddie. These guys are going to be this team's primary offensive options off the bench they need to be aggressive offensively and defensively, Doc has to sit them down if they are cold or worse tentative.

Ok, you have a valid point. We obviously won't know whether Cassell will play better this year, being with the team the whole year until he actually does it. And you are also correct in saying that there is a chance that he'll come to terms with his role as a back up and tailor his playing-style accordingly.

However, Cassell's always been a guy who calls his own number first. He's always been a good mid-range shooter and has been able to use his height against smaller PGs in the post too. On this team though, he has to learn to play off of our 3 stars. He also has a massive ego. That comes from having had success in crunch time and even making some big shots. But that Sam Cassell is long gone now, so he shouldn't be expected to produce in that way. I don't think he's quite come to terms with that yet, as we've seen him last year. He's more fit to being a main option on a bad team than being a bench-role player on a team with established stars.

Can he contribute? Of course. At the same time, the selfish-ballhogging Cassell is the last thing we need. Our young guys need to see the ball in the 2nd unit and if Cassell comes in thinks he can take whatever shot he wants with the 2nd unit, that's going to hurt the team as a whole.

[sully00]

However, Cassell's always been a guy who calls his own number first. He's always been a good mid-range shooter and has been able to use his height against smaller PGs in the post too. On this team though, he has to learn to play off of our 3 stars. He also has a massive ego.

See this isn't completely true. Sam certainly isn't afraid to take his shots and that is in stark contrast to Rondo who is very tentative to shoot, but he was great running the offense in MINN and LAC, Elton Brand loved him especially in the halfcourt. That is the element I think he could add that he was never quite comfortable doing with Boston last season. I also would expect him to be on the floor instead of one of the perimeter big guns so his willingness to shoot the ball will be more of an asset and less of a "what the hell are you doing" situation. I also think that he had a green light to play the way he was playing because we were struggling offensively on the road.

In the end I just want him here because I don't have a ton of faith in anyone else to back up the position and I think that if Rondo was to get hurt it would really jam up our season.

[billfromBoston]

It is not "tired ass" it is a fact. Part of everyone's uproar about Sam is that he jerked with the chemistry on the team, by bringing him back they are providing evidence to the contrary.

We can't know if bringing back Sam is a good idea or a bad one until it happens, your saying it is a mistake before it happens - that is the definition of a fool. You can have an opinion on it one way or the other that doesn't make it a fact.

I don't think Sam is the ideal 18 mpg back up pg, at the same time I know Eddie House and Tony Allen aren't either. I hope Gabe Pruitt is but I don't necessarily like the odds when the hopes are an NBA championship.

Sam gives us some insurance at a weak position and he seems to understand his role. I agree he isn't going to stop being Sam Cassell, I never was confused about that when everyone seemed to think he was Jason Kidd and AI or wrapped up in one. But with a better understanding of the offense and having a chance to play with guys more I think he will do a better job of facilitating the offense.

I also think he will shoot the ball quite a bit and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The bad thing is leaving him in there when it isn't working and the same goes for Gabe, Tony, and Eddie. These guys are going to be this team's primary offensive options off the bench they need to be aggressive offensively and defensively, Doc has to sit them down if they are cold or worse tentative.

...everything this man just said is the truth...

There is no argument to be made comparing your own personal observations on personnel against the team's-you simply don't have the same level of information on the situations.

Of course the organization isn't always right, but they are a helluva lot more informed than everyone on this board and spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week studying the dynamics of this team. The fact that their track-record is so strong in terms of personnel decision making further emphasizes this point.

I make this argument all the time and it always seems to go by the wayside. THIS IS THEIR JOB. Nobody would expect arm-chair observation to qualify as expertise in their own profession, but somehow "sports" is some type of universally accessible profession that any "fool" can master?

That's why the "Danny is more familiar" arguments aren't trash, because he has more information than you on the matter, has a greater amount of experience in the work environment, and has a track-record to back himself up. Does he make "all the right moves", no-nobody does. But factoring in the intricacies of managing a roster, payroll, and the personalities therein? Yes, his opinion has far more value than anyone else's on this or any other message board.

Basketball is a business, not a hobby...fans can "know things" and be "right" from time to time, but they're rarely ahead of the pace when it comes to team management, especially for a good team. Sully factored in the unknown in his observation, which makes him correct. Its the same reason I have confidence in the "high risk/reward" players that Ainge brought in this off-season. Its not that I think Ainge can do no wrong, but my observations of his eye for talent, his current success, my own opinion/insight into things, AND the knowledge that he likely shares similar concerns but HAS better resources than me....ya, that's enough to make me say " in Danny I trust" without it being blind faith...

[billfromBoston]

However, Cassell's always been a guy who calls his own number first. He's always been a good mid-range shooter and has been able to use his height against smaller PGs in the post too. On this team though, he has to learn to play off of our 3 stars. He also has a massive ego.

See this isn't completely true. Sam certainly isn't afraid to take his shots and that is in stark contrast to Rondo who is very tentative to shoot, but he was great running the offense in MINN and LAC, Elton Brand loved him especially in the halfcourt. That is the element I think he could add that he was never quite comfortable doing with Boston last season. I also would expect him to be on the floor instead of one of the perimeter big guns so his willingness to shoot the ball will be more of an asset and less of a "what the hell are you doing" situation. I also think that he had a green light to play the way he was playing because we were struggling offensively on the road.

In the end I just want him here because I don't have a ton of faith in anyone else to back up the position and I think that if Rondo was to get hurt it would really jam up our season.

Again with the brilliance...

I happen to know first-hand that a lot of what the fans were complaining about in terms of Cassell's play was by design and intent of the team-to a degree...Sam never got acclimated to the team and the team really wanted him to be the focal point for stretches off the bench. Powe was the primary scorer off the bench by season's end, but their was no reliable playmaker to set up the unit as a whole and that created some very hit-or-miss offensive production.

This doesn't change the fact that Sam has a huge ego, but fans have taken it way out of context, creating situations in their mind that clearly aren't shared by the team. If Sam was such a terrible presence on the team he'd not be getting invited back here-that's just deductive reasoning, it requires no thought.

From a skill standpoint, a full TC may very well help Sam ease into a more typical role for him, which is that of a playmaker/scorer-he is very good at setting it up in the half court, but didn't show it last year for the C's..but he did for the Clippers, so I don't think his skills are gone.

However, I do think that Sam is not a lock for having ANY consistent role this year beyond basic ball-handling specialist against full court pressure, which very few teams did successfully against Boston last year. If Sam still has game, he'll earn his spot in the rotation, but I highly doubt they brought him in here as the primary backup after giving House a 2 year deal.

Sam is a luxury item who may or may not force the team to make a move, depending on how a number of Celtics play. Miles apears lowest on the totem pole, but we don't even know the nature of SAM'S deal yet. He could also have to play his way onto the team or else become a coach this season...we don't know what type of deal it is at all. Miles had a "deal" too, and then we found out what it was...let's wait before we project all types of crazy responsibility to him.

[Kefa461]

Ok......how's about this as a fact.....Sam's here until Danny says he goes.........???.....agreed. Move on and stop the crying....all last season, bitchin about my boy Sam. Let's go get #18..

[Tenbomber]

I like Sam....

So I'm all for him rejoining the Celtics...period

[Jammer]

1. The Collective Bargaining Agreement either prevents side deals for coaching or consulting or makes them count against the cap. So, I don't think Sam's reference to a coaching option with salary is permissable under the CBA. Otherwise, it would be a form of compensation, and would not only count against the salary cap, but the Celtics would have to pay luxury tax on Sam's coaching salary.

2. As others like billfromboston have already pointed out, Sam may be just signing a make good contract to come to training camp. Because if Sam's coming, Pruitt's going. And Pruitt is still here, although Oklahoma City, Minnesota and Chicago (Ben Gordon ???) have trade exceptions to accept Pruitt for a second round pick or cash AND NEED another PG.

3. I agree with tombattor that Cassell does not seem to get the team playing well, but just jacks up his own shots. However, Pruitt also shoots too much. I understand Doc's concern to have someone he trusts with the ball, and the ability to have a scorer off the bench. I just don't think Sam's got it any more, BUT, if Pruitt would have been INACTIVE all season, AND the PLAN is for SAM to be INACTIVe, than it makes sense. I just hope that if Sam does join the team that he's not part of the active rotation. I'd rather see Tony as the 3rd string PG, not only for his defense, but his ability to attack the basket.

4. I also think that Eddie House and the team don't need Sam b*tching for time.

[Rocky5000]

Well here it is 9 days later and still no word of an official Sam Cassell contract. Something else must be going down that we don't know about. Danny said that he would like to get a deal worked out, but maybe there is a bit of disagreement between the Cs and Sam about what his role would be.