Posey Gone but not Forgotten

James Posey stung Celtic Nation last week when he decided to accept an offer to join Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets. There is no doubt that Posey’s departure leaves a huge void on the team. When he came to Boston, he was the only player with championship experience and he quickly became the unspoken leader of the second unit and the best 6th man the Celtics had since Bill some 22 years ago. Also, with his swagger and fearlessness Posey helped bring together and give an identity to a team full of new players. His pre-game pep talks, clutch 3-point shooting, and ability to draw an offensive charge were legendary and with his energy and defense he often inspired the team to victories when the ‘Big 3’ weren't on their game.

With Posey gone, GM Danny Ainge has some big shoes to fill. It’s now almost imperative that the Celts re-sign Tony Allen, Eddie House, or both. If House stays, then the Celts will retain some of the fearless shooting and energy that Posey brought off the bench. If TA re-signs and continues to rebound from his torn ACL, then the Celts will once again have an athletic defensive stopper, as well as, a scorer off the bench.

Even though there was a mutual love affair between Posey and the Boston, in the end the security of a 4 year contract was too strong a pull for him. I guess the only silver-lining for Celtic fans is the fact that Jame Posey didn’t sign with Los Angeles Lakers or fellow Eastern Conference rivals Cleveland and Detroit. Just another great play by Posey!

Ring Around the Posey?

As Boston Celtic free agent Forward James Posey entertains offers from the Celts, Hornets, Cavaliers, and Lakers, don't believe that his agent Mark Bartelstein is insisting on 4 year deal and don't believe that Celts' GM Danny Ainge will only offer a 2 year contract. This is just part of the negotiating dance.

Posey made $3.2 million last year and seems to be willing to accept a team's $5.3 million Mid-Level Exception salary for his next contract. The only variable is length of time. The Celtics don't want to tie-up another contract for too long but they already have the new 'Big 3' (KG, Ray, Pierce) locked-up for anther couple of years, so there shouldn't be any harm. Since the window for winning more championships is tied to the 'Big 3' and Posey is integral part of that window, then the Celtics should have no problem giving Posey a 3 year deal. Also, while other teams may be willing to offer him 4 years at the Mid-Level, my gut tells me that Posey wants to stay with the 'Big 3' and in Boston.

Finally, once Posey is locked-up, then hopefully Eddie House will soon follow. After all, it was House who recruited Posey in the first place. They are both represented by the same agent and he has made it clear that he wants to stay in Boston.

Notes from the Coast:

The Celtics are 2-0 to start the playoffs, but what happened to Eddie House? Along with James Posey, House was the spark off the bench all year. His energy, defense, and deadly shooting were key to many Celtic victories. He even served as the back-up point guard to Rajon Rondo. When the Celts got Sam Cassell, it was obvious that Sam's energy level and 38 year old legs didn't gel with the up-tempo offense and aggressive defense the Celtics and House had played all year. Yet the playoffs have started and Cassell is getting much more playing time and House is relegated to 'garbage time'. One has to wonder if maybe Eddie has been burried on the bench because he's stuck in Coach Rivers' dog house for some reason.

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