james posey to the NO HORNETS

[DJToLarry]

Good for Posey. He will always be a favorite of mine for being a major part of #17. I don't blame him one bit for taking the money. Neither do I blame Ainge for sticking to his guns. I wonder is this will play out along the same lines as the Deion Branch situation. The year he left the Pats lost to the Colts in a close AFC Championship game with a cast of below average WRs. With Branch I think they top the Colts in that game and go on to beat the Bears. Possible that the Pats lost a championship. But long term, the Pats are in a better position. I can see the Celtics needing Posey in the playoffs next year and coming up a bit short.

[mr_sunshine]

Oh well. TA it's your time to shine boy (I'm assuming he's resigned now).

[BullDawg]

I'm relieved that we didn't overpay for a roleplayer. Now add someone like Miles or Barnes and save the MLE in case a player becomes available who deserves it (Ben Gordon?)

[Al n' Perk No Layups!]

Heat Fan Here:

I love Posey he was definitely a key to our Championship just like he was to yours. I saw some posters saying "wow overpaid for a guy who brings you 7 and 4" but Posey isn't a stats guy its the energy, attitude, clutchness and hustle that he brings to the team . Yes he got overpaid but he will be more then missed especially with the terrific relationship he held with Garnett, Allen and Pierce. I'm not sure if the Heat season would have been such a disaster if we held onto Posey, but this was a bold move by the Celtics management and could be you're downfall this year. In my book you just went from favorites to repeat to a middle contender. We tried to replace Posey with Dorrel Wright-- that didn't work out too good and that's what Darius Miles sounds like to me, as well as the other names you have mentioned-- Matt Barnes had a terrible year. Hope you guys can find a suitable replacement.

Don't make the same mistake we did and underestimate what Posey brings to the table.

Good post. I have a bad feeling you will end up being correct.

You also had a "Bad feeling" that we'd be knocked out of the playoffs by the Hawks, Cavs, Pistons and Lakers. I'm comfortable with you having "bad feelings."

[grantlongforpresident]

You see, the difference between my opinion and most of you, is I don't really give a mother **** if he is deadweight and not worth his salary in 4 YEARS.

Our window is NOW. and CLOSING. Our best shot at #18 is in the next two years.

Disclaimer: I don't think Posey will suck in 4 years, i'm just saying even if he does, it is still worth it.

[Rocky5000]

Well this makes the offseason way more interesting. Definitely going to be at least one new face on the team.

[JR Hawks]

What do you mean?

None of that money affects Posey at all. We could've offered the full MLE for 4 or 5 years, thats the most we could offer him. We chose not to based on long term cap flexibility.

I am sad to see Posey go, but you cant just offer guys whatever you want if you are over the cap. Walker and POB are minimum contract guys so theyhave virtually no risk, so even if one of them ends up contributing those were good signings.

-Dizzy

You need to look beyond the pseudo-salary cap created by the luxury tax and understand that there are real dollars being spent in the here and now.

The cash spent on the 2nd round pick and POB this year is real money. And because real money was spent on that garbage this year, its much easier for the owners to get nervous about paying Posey this year (nevermind year 4). So why not just cut Posey lose while appeasing the fans by offereing Posey a contract you know he won't accept?

Or are you assuming that the Celtics will now turn around and make the Posey offer to somebody else? I have a feeling you're going to be sorely disappointed if that's the case.

[ryaningf]

Oh, God, let's all jump off a bridge or something. Posey did what was right for him, we did what was right for us. Posey can be replaced. The key to any winning team is chemistry, and that's not a product of one player, it's a product of all the players coming together and sacrificing for a common goal. If the players do that again, we can win another championship, with or without Posey. This is about all the players and how they come together. Posey was big...last year. Now we need to find a good replacement and get everyone to buy in again to what Thibs and Doc are selling. We can do it without Posey.

Any plan B now that Posey is gone that doesn't include Tony Allen is a suspect plan. He's the best value on the market right now, and we can resign him with his Bird rights, leaving the MLE for a 3 point shooting 3/4 or backup point. We desperately need Tony's defense and penetration ability and there's not another player out there that can bring it like Tony does. Don't fool yourself, Giddens may be good, Bill Walker may be a huge steal, but counting on them to replace what a healthy Tony Allen can bring is foolishness. Even with consistent minutes, it'll take JR Giddens half a season to figure out the system. And Bill Walker will be lucky to get any minutes next year. This team was built on defense and it's an absolute no-brainer, now that Posey is gone, to bring back our team's best perimeter defender.

[JR Hawks]

You see, the difference between my opinion and most of you, is I don't really give a mother **** if he is deadweight and not worth his salary in 4 YEARS.

Our window is NOW. and CLOSING. Our best shot at #18 is in the next two years.

Disclaimer: I don't think Posey will suck in 4 years, i'm just saying even if he does, it is still worth it.

Bingo!

We just became a worse team in 08-09, when we actually have a chance to win a championship.

[Al n' Perk No Layups!]

Heat Fan Here:

I love Posey he was definitely a key to our Championship just like he was to yours. I saw some posters saying "wow overpaid for a guy who brings you 7 and 4" but Posey isn't a stats guy its the energy, attitude, clutchness and hustle that he brings to the team . Yes he got overpaid but he will be more then missed especially with the terrific relationship he held with Garnett, Allen and Pierce. I'm not sure if the Heat season would have been such a disaster if we held onto Posey, but this was a bold move by the Celtics management and could be you're downfall this year. In my book you just went from favorites to repeat to a middle contender. We tried to replace Posey with Dorrel Wright-- that didn't work out too good and that's what Darius Miles sounds like to me, as well as the other names you have mentioned-- Matt Barnes had a terrible year. Hope you guys can find a suitable replacement.

Don't make the same mistake we did and underestimate what Posey brings to the table.

You guys were terrible last year because you lost your two best players to injury, lost Posey AND Kapono in FA, traded Toine for the cancerous Mark Blount, had your coach take vacations mid-season and blatently tanked. I don't think keeping Posey would have made a team playing more D Leaguers than legit NBA players a title contender.

Posey leaving will not destroy this team. If PGA all go down with injuries, Doc takes his wife on a month long trip to Hawaii in February, Rondo participates in an experiment that goes horribly wrong leaving him 40 years old and Mark Blount rises from the sewers and steals Perk's jersey; then this team will be destroyed.

[meatball sub]

Good for him, glad to see he got the 4th year somewhere other than Boston.

[RickyDizzle]

What do you mean?

None of that money affects Posey at all. We could've offered the full MLE for 4 or 5 years, thats the most we could offer him. We chose not to based on long term cap flexibility.

I am sad to see Posey go, but you cant just offer guys whatever you want if you are over the cap. Walker and POB are minimum contract guys so theyhave virtually no risk, so even if one of them ends up contributing those were good signings.

-Dizzy

You need to look beyond the pseudo-salary cap created by the luxury tax and understand that there are real dollars being spent in the here and now.

The cash spent on the 2nd round pick and POB this year is real money. And because real money was spent on that garbage this year, its much easier for the owners to get nervous about paying Posey this year (nevermind year 4). So why not just cut Posey lose while appeasing the fans by offereing Posey a contract you know he won't accept?

Or are you assuming that the Celtics will now turn around and make the Posey offer to somebody else? I have a feeling you're going to be sorely disappointed if that's the case.

You didnt change my mind on anything with this post.

The 'real dollars' you speak of are peanuts to the ownership group. Buying Bill Walker and signing POB have literally ZERO effect on Posey. This is an ownership group that has over 100 million 'real dollars' committed to Kevin Garnett alone, you think signing a guy to less than half a million that might (or might not) later be able to contribute is really going to affect how they move forward with forming the team? The nervousness is not about the spending 6 mil 3 years from now, the nervousness is rooted in the fact that Posey's salary would still be on the books while Ray's contract is off the books, basically meaning the we would be killing what little cap flexibility we may have.

If you think a team with 3 max players is worried about paying someone the MLE 3 years from now strictly because of the cash they'd have to pay thats ludicrous. The issue is that they care about what else that money could be used for when other salaries are off the books.

Trust me, the POB and Walker moves have absolutely nothing to do with Posey, to ignore the cap and its implications is ignorant.

-Dizzy

[Truthiracy]

Screw Jame$ Po$ey, what an idiot... the Hornets aren't winning any titles. 2 rings is all Po$ey will end up with, which is more than most will ever get, but I hope he fails miserably on "New Orleans".

[Devilzsidewalk]

I don't know about this one, Posey can guard multiple positions, is an outstanding 3 point shooter, and a cold killer in the playoffs.

Key to the quarter: Strong bench play from Eddie House (7 points, 2 assists), James Posey (6 points, 3 rebounds) keys a 23-3 quarter-closing run. The Celtics play stout defense, out-hustle the Lakers to every loose ball and build a 26-14 rebounding edge, including 8-0 on the offensive glass.

Classic highlight: Does anyone work harder than Posey? The reserve forward out-wrestles the Lakers front line for a rebound in traffic, then fades to the left corner, where he buries a key three to ignite the Celtics game-changing run.

[Devilzsidewalk]

Screw Jame$ Po$ey, what an idiot... the Hornets aren't winning any titles. 2 rings is all Po$ey will end up with, which is more than most will ever get, but I hope he fails miserably on "New Orleans".

This is Posey's last big contract and you'd do the same thing if the situations are reversed. Easy to play the "I'm more noble than thou" card when you don't have to walk the same path.

[greenbeans]

You see, the difference between my opinion and most of you, is I don't really give a mother **** if he is deadweight and not worth his salary in 4 YEARS.

Our window is NOW. and CLOSING. Our best shot at #18 is in the next two years.

Disclaimer: I don't think Posey will suck in 4 years, i'm just saying even if he does, it is still worth it.

Bingo!

We just became a worse team in 08-09, when we actually have a chance to win a championship.

and 09-10 and 10-11. . . it isnt like the celtics are going to cease to exist 2 years from now. they, unlike you and your delusional counterpart are in it for the longhaul, not going all out for a 2-year span. they arent gonna blow their wad on a roleplayer who can be easily replaced, it isnt a sound business decision, it just isnt. no matter how you try and spin it.

[Chief]

Some of the comments are classless.

Thanks for being part of #17 James..

[RickyDizzle]

Some of the comments are classless.

Thanks for being part of #17 James..

I agree, I loved Posey and will miss him. I understand the logic for future cap flexibility, but I also hear what people are saying with the whole "our window is now" thing.

Tough situation, you always want to put the best team you can on the floor, but at what cost...very tricky.

-Dizzy

P.S. If we get bumped in the second or third round everyone is going to being saying 'if only we had posey, we would've won" and all that stuff, which will be really annoying. He is a big PART of why we won the championship, but a PART and not the whole. Hopefully we can get another part to help us again.

[Red2]

I hope danny can explain why we let our 6th man walk because we didn't want to give him an extra yeara. it makes no sense to me. pose is the same age as garnett Pierce and allen. what would be so horrible about pairing him with those guys for the next 4 years. I thought the goal was to win a championship. Hasn't Posey proven that he knows how to do that? I hated the flirtation with Maggette and I thought from the beginning that Danny misplayed this. Obviously after what he did last year he has my complete confidence but I don't like this move. it's the wrong time to get cheap

[kmgarnett21]

sad day...i'll miss po-z & his pregame hugs & his lil smart @$$ smirk he gives fans after hitting a crucial three. you'll be missed pose.

at least he didnt go to LAL, cleveland or detroit. if it wasnt us, i was hoping it'd be NOH.

now i say go after dmiles or barnes