Almost clipped by Doc: Spanish Celtics Podcast (9th edition)

Not here, KG. There...

I could easily say this was the most exciting podcast of all in which I have had the pleasure to participate this year. At the CelticsSpa office we were all anxiously having our phones ringing in frenzy and the sweat covered our foreheads on a very hot Monday evening.

You have read and heard about it for days: The Celtics and the Clippers were immersed in a difficult transaction to essentially land Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to Malibú and the Celtics would start their rebuilding process right after.

The first part of the podcast was naturally dedicated to this subject. During the last editions of the program we had defended the need to keep the core of the team intact in order to achieve better financial relief in 2014 while we gave it a final try to the current edition of the Celtics. Strengthening the frontcourt via trade (Big Al Jefferson) and draft pick (Withey) and the addition of some back up help for Rondo were the priority in our minds.

This came very close to happening

Enter the soap opera from California. Nobody cared about the NBA Finals. All eyes were fixed in perplexity to the man called Glenn Rivers and his sudden and shocking desire to leave the loyalty he had expressed towards his team and agree to sign with Los Angeles Clippers. Our commentators in the program showed their lack of understanding and the sadness and disappointment that the whole situation provoked in us. When Doc signed his multi year deal with us knew that the moment of saying goodbye to Garnett, Pierce and even Ray would come. And by accepting a long term deal he also took responsibility to start the rebuilding process around Rondo.

So then...what was all this Clipper thing about?

But this wasn´t all, as we learned out that Kevin Garnett would also waive his non trade clause to sign with LA too. That also came as a shocker. We all remember the "I bleed green, die green" words he threw at the media while discussing trade rumors in February and we all couldn't figure out what had changed. Two of the three most loyal members of the team would leave for brighter landscapes completely unexpectedly.

Jordan and Bledsoe, almost Celtics

The deal was almost done by Monday night and we anxiously waited for the Celtics Life report about the possible package the C's would net to start rebuilding next season. At first, Ainge's demands were centered around Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan and two round picks. The Clippers insisted on offering just Jordan and one first rounder. The Celtics tried different scenarios by removing Bledsoe from their demands and asking for financial flexibility. Ainge wanted Sterling to take the contract of either Courtney Lee or Jason Terry and we would receive the expiring $8 million deal of Caron Butler. Draft compensations(to deal Doc), trade kickers (for Jordan and Terry), and the restructure of a new deal for Doc were maybe too much for such an unstable management like the represented by the Clippers. The rumor is that Danny played hardball and Sterling got mad at it and bit.

Our Celtics gurú Aless explains in the podcast all the financial implication of every single deal that was rumored that night and how that situation would have affected the decisions coming ahead.

What was supposed to be the next shoe to drop? Paul Pierce. He was also rumored at some moment to be part of the Clipper deal, but he would have possibly be traded to a team like Houston (as we mentioned in previous editions of the program) and would have arrived to LA most likely after being cut by the Rockets.

Am I next?

The implications of the future of Doc have a very strong effect and influence on the team´s plans. For starters, the draft is a week away and a coach should already be preparing the team for next year. While a deal with the Clippers might still happen, it seems that Doc will have to decide today whether he wants to continue in Boston after burning many bridges with his flirtation with LA or he prefers to start broadcasting in TV again and leave his wealthy contract on the table.

In our program we discuss about the possible substitutes for Doc Rivers. The names of George Karl and Jerry Sloan show up as natural names as they are more than qualified coaches. We agree on the fact that a rebuilding team would demand a younger coach with much upside, in the mold of Byron Scott or Brian Shaw. A middle ground candidate would be Lawrence Frank, who was rumored to be the likely candidate if the deal had happened with the Clippers.

The draft choice would be affected by such a deal, and we discuss about the change of scenery if such a movement towards rebuilding would happen. Adding Jordan would have decreased the chances of zeroing in a center as a target. Our draft expert Raico explains how the team would face different scenarios meant to build on the future.

The podcast then shifts to the questions of the listeners. As usual, fans ask us about the likeliness of a buyout of Paul Pierce´s deal and the possibility of getting José Manuel Calderón in free agency. These are two mandatory questions to be answered every week and has turned into a comic impasse in the show.

Speaking of shows, our friend Álvaro has a funny section on Terrence Williams in his comedy time. He explores another view of his biography and a very interesting (virtual, but still awesome) interview with Terrence. This interview reveals very funny aspects of our Celtic hero.

All the podcast is filled with surprises, news and comments for your favorite group of Spanish Celtics fans. As usual, the mad scientist of the show, Ramsés, mixes it all up in his lab and delivers a fresh and original format to get in touch with the Boston Celtics.

Enjoy it!



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