leon powe has been cast aside
I’m sick about this. It now occurs to me that my two favorite players in the NBA do not play for the Boston Celtics (James Posey and Leon Powe). I’m shocked by the Celtics decision to not extend Powe a qualifying offer. Powe’s agent said it best:
What does it say when a player like Leon Powe, a great human being, who played through injury and pain for three straight years for the Boston Celtics, including in a playoff game after tearing his ACL, is rewarded by the team saying to him “we only have a short window to win, and you are not a part of our plans because you are now injured.”
It shows you the true state of the NBA.
The Celtics are traditionally a class act. I have great respect for the organization as a whole, but they truly missed it on this one. (Via True Hoop)
The minute Leon went down, I was afraid this was going to happen… I just didn’t think it would. I suppose there is always a chance that Leon could end up back with the Cs, but I’m not getting my hopes up. If this truly is goodbye, then I just want to say thank you to Leon for all the great memories and for being the heart and soul of my favorite team.
You will be missed! 
Related news:
- True Hoop: Leon Powe is Unemployed
- Red’s Army: The sad reality about the Leon Powe decision
- FanHouse: Leon Powe Will Prove the Celtics Wrong
- The Boston Herald: Powe feels Celtics career over
- NESN.com: Ainge pulling plug on the Powe show?
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Update #1: This is from the official Celtics site…
Powe’s Progress
As for Leon Powe, who’s an unrestricted free agent, Ainge said that the C’s would be keeping tabs on his progress as he rehabilitates his left knee from the ACL/meniscus injury he suffered in Game 2 against the Bulls. Powe just went home to California to continue his rehab but is no longer under contract with the Celtics.
With a long rehab ahead of Powe, the Celtics aren’t breaking ties with him, but there’s a lot of uncertainty about when he would be ready to contribute again. When that time comes, he’ll be free to sign with any team he wants.
“We know that Leon is not going to be available to play until late in the season, possibly,” Ainge said.
So, I guess there is always the possibility he could be back. I know I’ve been drama queening out on Twitter today and no player is above the team… but if there was ever a player who could be above the team, it’s Leon. Life goes on, though and I guess like everyone else, I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
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Update #2: According to The Boston Herald & NESN.com, Powe thinks he’s done in Boston based on a convo with Danny Ainge.
“They told me, ‘Good luck with another team.’ Doc (Rivers) told me that he wanted me there, and he would do whatever he could to make sure I came back, but Danny came to me yesterday saying that they only have a two-year window, and I would be taking up a roster spot for someone else,” he explained.
But that doesn’t mean he is officially off the C’s radar.
“We love Leon, and would consider having Leon back at any time, once he gets healthy,” Ainge said.
That’s where Powe’s and Ainge’s feelings begin to differ.
“I wasn’t feeling a vibe like that,” he said. “I knew they wouldn’t (offer a qualifying offer), so I just have to move on.”
Sigh.
Not ready to give up? Sign the petition to re-sign Leon Powe — Powe-tition!
d-league’s maine red claws officially marry up with boston celtics and charlotte bobcats
The Maine Red Claws, Portland’s NBA Development League team, announced today that the expansion club will be affiliated with the Boston Celtics (no surprise) and Charlotte Bobcats (mild surprise). Previously, the Celtics D-League affiliate was in Provo, Utah and Charlotte’s was in Sioux Falls, S.D. Should make for a shorter commute for both.
I heard the news on the radio (Big Jab) this morning driving in to work. They mentioned that they’d be holding a rally to announce the news in Monument Square at noon, so since I work on Congress, I figured I’d head down and check it out.
Needless to say, it was fairly uneventful. I decided to cover it on Twitter and I think I covered the press conference in two tweets and the whole experience in four. Basically, they just announced the exact information I had already heard that morning on the radio. It wasn’t a complete waste of time though, because I got a t-shirt and bumper sticker. Whether I actually ever wear the shirt (I’m not one generally speaking who would wear a shirt with a lobster on it… with basketballs on the end of its antennae no less) or put the bumper sticker anywhere near the bumper of my new car, is not the point. I got swag and swag is swag. 
Here are some pics taken with my super lame Sidekick phone camera:
Press conference. I couldn’t be bothered to get any closer than this apparently.
They had a hoop set up for the kids.
The swag.
Pondering buying season tix, but am waiting to see the final schedule. If they play on the same nights as the Celtics, no can do.
listen up, danny ainge
I really wish Danny Ainge would shut his piehole. I was confused for a little while about what the hell was going on with all these Rondo trade rumors and now I’m more convinced than ever that Danny is just trying to put the Celtics in the best position to re-sign Rondo without having to pay him what he’s going to inevitably ask for. It reminds me a little too much of how he handled KG’s injury and a comment he made about how the office was trying to be like Belichick.
Bitch, please.
Danny, I served with Bill Belichick: I knew Bill Belichick; Bill Belichick was a friend of mine. Danny Ainge, you’re no Bill Belichick.
In other news, the Celtics haven’t made any big moves yet (unless you count drafting some kid last night with the 58th pick), but the Cavs and the Magic sure did. Vince Carter, huh? Answer me this Orlando, if Vince falls on the ground and clutches his hammy, whatcha gonna do? a.) run over and help him; b.) act like he’s dead to you and follow the action down the other end of the court; c) wait for him or Dwight Howard to yell, “Chuck! Aaaaargh!”?
Shaq to Cleveland will be interesting to watch. Shaq is entertaining, but I’m beginning to think he has a big screw loose. During last night’s draft, he said that he and LeBron were having “mental conversations.” What the hell? Bizarre shit. Just sayin. 
For more of my thoughts on the Shaq trade, visit The No-Look Pass blog. The blog’s head honcho, Rey-Rey, interviewed me and three other “chicks who love hoops.” Check it out… (For the record, I only throw remote controls at Tarheel fans… and my mom sometimes… because she’s a Tarheel fan. Go Blue Devils.)
Related news:
- Red’s Army: “We value Rondo more than anyone else in the league”
- Third Quarter Collapse: The Morning After: Air Canada Lands In Orlando
- Fear the Sword: Ok, so, Shaquille O’Neal needs a nickname!!!
- The No-Look Pass: Talking To Chicks Who Love Hoops: The Big Trade Piece
tmz to lebron: you’re a douchebag
Trades shmades. I am done reacting to Rondo rumors and/or listening to Danny Ainge deny them. In the spirit of offseason fluff, I direct you to this completely irrelevant news… TMZ.com apparently thinks LeBron is a giant douchebag and they’re going to keep chronicling his wardrobe choices until he gets the hint and stops wearing message tees.
The first post, Lebron James — Most Valuable Loser, took LeBron to task for wearing his achievements so prominently on his chest.
Pretty funny except they had to take it just a tad too far by saying that their L.A. boy, Kobe would never do that. Then they saw the “puppet wearing four rings” tee on Kobe and had to eat crow. Hence, the follow up post, Kobe to TMZ — Tell Me How Your Foot Tastes. Clever.
Lol at the dig, “It’s Kobe. We should’ve known better.” Let me get this straight, it’s Kobe’s fault you tried to use him to make a point about LeBron?
So, we’re done now right? Oh no, no, no you silly rabbit. The cameras of TMZ are everywhere. They tracked down the MVP in St. Tropez, spotted him in a “Check My $tats” tee and promptly posted, LeBron James Ego Tour Rolls On.
I’m not sure when LeBron took a wiz in TMZ’s Cheerios, but I say keep it coming. If not for this, I’d have to actually start thinking about the draft and trade scenarios and I just have zero interest in doing that. I like my team. As is. I’ve already stated what I’m willing to part with and I don’t care if we draft anyone Thursday night… capiche? Capiche, then.
nba musings: tyson, what’s up with the diaper?
Ok, let me start off by saying that I love me some Tyson Chandler and firmly believe he’s a key part of what makes the New Orleans Hornets one of the hottest (gorgeous boy wise) teams in the league. However, what the f is up with his Twitter background? Shout-out to @courtside for bringing his cartoon face Twitter icon to my attention. I saw her tweet, became curious, and ventured out of Tweetdeck to his profile on the web and was met by this… um… background:
I’m not gonna lie. He’s still gorgeous, even if that is a diaper…
God bless you, Twitter!
paul pierce’s smack tweet
Old news, but it still cracks me up. I’m late reacting to this because I wasn’t actually on Twitter on the 17th to see it. I read about it on the 18th on BDL. I was covertly perusing NBA blogs in my RSS reader at work when this little gem caught my eye. I literally laughed out loud and then had to explain myself to someone passing by. I’m not sure why, but I was actually surprised by how blunt and snarky the message was. I wouldn’t have been surprised at all if it had come from Shaq, but I didn’t realize Pierce was so… honest.
ps. I can’t read this without wanting to cross out “rotweiler” and pencil in “rottweiler”.
you’ll pry perk and rondo from my cold dead hands
These silly season rumors are giving me fits. It seemed like the very minute game 7 finished and the Celtics went fishing in Dingle, Ireland, people started speculating about who isn’t going to be back next year. Thoughts immediately flashed through my brain. Will they keep Leon or Big Baby? The answer is clear, simple and finite. Leon stays! Baby can go. I’ll miss him, but not as much as I’d miss Leon. This is not Sophie’s Choice for me. The decision is clear. After that, I pondered how quickly they’d tell Mikki Moore and Stephon Marbury not to let the door hit them in the ass on the way out. No problem with that. The rookies? Haven’t gotten attached to them. They can go too. However, there were certain players that I just assumed were untouchable. Never for a moment did I think I might have to brace myself for life without Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo or Kendrick Perkins. I think I could almost handle losing Ray. As much as I love him, I probably wouldn’t go into mourning if they felt like they had to trade him. But, the idea of trading either Perk or Rondo is just completely unbelievable to me. Rondo is a star. He has a lot to learn still, but he’s a star. And, what can you say about Kendrick Perkins? He’s the most underrated player on that whole team. Trading Rondo and Perk, in my opinion would be as ridiculous as trading KG and Paul Pierce. I will NOT part with any of them. You hear me, Wyc?!
Here is what I’ll agree to part with:
ps. Keep your grubby little mitts of Scal! I will NOT part with Scal either! Get back! *jabbing the air with a pitchfork*
nba musings: lakers in 5
NBA Finals Game 5
Lakers @ Magic 99-86
I was afraid, but not surprised, that this would be a short series. Kobe and Co. wanted this bad and the Magic just weren’t ready. A few thoughts, bullet-style:
- It amazes me how pundits continue to put words in Kobe’s mouth. This morning, I heard a morning show honk say that, “Kobe said he was so relieved to finally prove that he could win without Shaq!” Um no. That’s not what he said. He said, and I’m paraphrasing here, that he’s relieved that idiots would finally have to stop asking him about winning a title without Shaq. That’s two different things.
- As brilliant as Kobe was during the finals, I’m surprised more wasn’t made about Trevor Ariza’s contribution. He was major.
- I heard Magic championship gear was not even produced. That’s cold. Usually gear from the losing team gets produced and then shipped to a third world country. I do believe there are some poor children on the other side of the world wearing 2008 New England Patriots gear. Ouch.
- I feel bad for Adam Morrison. He was horribly overrated coming out of college, but that’s not his fault. Blame a weak ass draft class. Everybody’s making a big deal about him getting a ring while sitting on the bench in a suit, but what’s he supposed to do? He’s not the first guy to get a ring without making much of a contribution *cough Scot Pollard cough*. It happens all the time.
- What was up with Shaq tweeting his head off last night after the game? Sample: “Congratualtions [sic] kobe, u deserve it. You played great . Enjoy it my man enjoy it. And I know what yur sayin rt now “Shaq how my ass taste”You know. Somehow, I really don’t think Kobe was saying that. I think Kobe wants to win the championship every year and it has nothing to do with Shaq. In fact, he probably has a hard time playing checkers with his daughters without yelling, “In your face!” at them. He’s that competitive.
- Dwight Howard tweeted, “[...]kobe congrats. u inspired me.” I hope Kobe did inspire Dwight. I think Dwight needs to develop the one thing Patrick Ewing probably can’t help him with, his head. He needs a healthy dose of killer instinct.
- I’m really REALLY really going to miss the NBA season. Even though this season didn’t end the way I wanted it to, it was a lot of fun. I’m going to try to find something to keep blogging about so my site doesn’t turn into a rotting cadaver of stale posts… maybe I’ll have to start caring about the draft now.
nba musings: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything
NBA Finals Game 4
Lakers @ Magic 99-91/OT
If I start talking about this game, I’m going to end up swimming way out deep into hater lake without a life raft and I really don’t want to do that. I’ll let these pictures speak for me.
Don’t like that? How about this?
Come on Magic, don’t let me do you like this…
Dear Orlando,
You know there’s only one way to stop me, right? Win the next 3 games. For the love of Leon Powe and all that is holy and right with the world, do not go out like this. As much as I want to be right when I make a prediction (Lakers in 5), I really want to be wrong this time. I’m already going into hardcore NBA separation anxiety, so it would really help if you could stretch it to 7.
Love,
me
ps. Fix your point guard problems between tonight and tomorrow, ok? Ok, then.
Heinsohn honored with lifetime achievement award
Tommy’s finally getting some “tommy points” of recognition for himself. Congratulations Tommy!
From ESPN:
Tommy Heinsohn, who coached the Boston Celtics to two NBA titles after his Hall of Fame playing career, will be honored with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. [...]
“I’m honored by this recognition,” Heinsohn said in a statement. “Chuck Daly was a man and a coach who everyone had great respect for, and to be recognized in his memory is very special. I humbly accept this honor on behalf of all those who coach and have coached in the NBA.” [...]
“Like Chuck, Tommy Heinsohn has shown a lifetime devotion to improving NBA basketball for all who play, coach and watch the sport,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who is president of the NBA Coaches Association, said in a statement.
“His dedication, drive and vision unified NBA coaches and helped ensure their welfare for decades to come. Tommy helped pave the way for future coaches to make meaningful contributions to the game beyond the locker room and sidelines. All NBA coaches owe Tommy a debt of gratitude for his work and his example.”
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