The Latest

Your Morning Dump…nostalgia aside, would you want Perk back in Boston?

Chris Jones November 14, 2014 The Morning Dump 27 Comments

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

From Perk’s pregame interview on Wednesday:

He added that he, a free agent after this season, would consider a return.

“If the opportunity presents itself, I will,” said Perkins, now in his 12th season (he turned 30 on Monday). “But you never know. It’s not on me. I’ve got to be wanted to come back. It’s always that if.”

Boston Herald – Celtics Notebook: Kendrick Perkins believes Rajon Rondo belongs in Boston

I half-ass suggested a trade idea over the summer where we’d send Marcus Thornton to the Thunder for Kendrick Perkins. Both are expiring so it wouldn’t have been a big deal either way, but it could have been good for three reasons: we’d get someone who can actually alter a shot in the paint, more minutes for James Young, and Rondo would get his BFF back (at least for a little while).

That trade is pretty unlikely now, but as a soon-to-be free agent, is Perk at the stage in his career where he’d take a fair deal to be a backup center? He doesn’t really fit in the C’s plans as a starter, especially since Ainge should has his eyes set on a Gasol, Lopez, or Aldridge — but say we manage to retain Rondo and add a premier big man? Would you want to give Perk a contract for depth, or would he crowd the development of Sully and Olynyk?

Page 2: Kevin Love makes another trip to Boston, as a Cleveland Cavalier

While it’s LeBron James’ return in a Cleveland jersey that will draw much of the fuss, it’s also the first trip back to Boston for Kevin Love, last seen gallivanting here while rubbing elbows with Boston’s other sports stars — including Celtics captain Rajon Rondo — in early June when he sent the city into a frenzy with his curious offseason presence.

We know how that all worked out. Minnesota sniffed at the future-minded assets that Boston had to offer and instead shipped the disgruntled Love to Cleveland as part of a three-team deal that brought back the past two No. 1 overall picks in the draft.

ESPN Boston -Cavs visit should light a spark

I guess it isn’t really Kevin Love’s fault that he ended up in Cleveland instead of Boston. Yeah, he could have spoken up and said he wouldn’t sign an extension anywhere but here, thoughI don’t think he wanted to play here that bad. But I still hold a sort of grudge towards him for opting to play with LeBron instead. Tonight he comes back to Boston and gets a chance to face up against Jared Sullinger. If I remember correct, last time Love visit Boston for basketball reasons, the C’s came out with a win and Sully outplayed Love.

And Jared must have a bit of extra mojo, knowing Danny tried basically swap the two last summer. Curious to see how that match up plays out…

And finally, the Mavs outscored the 76ers 73-29 last night

First half summary: http://t.co/N1ano4ioHd

— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) November 14, 2014

At least someone in the Sixer media department has a sense of humor. (*Edit, they’ve deleted the tweet apparently, so you’ve got to click the link to see the GIF now*)

The rest of the links:

Grantland – Andre Drummond under construction in Detroit

ESPN – Rose: Hammy injury minor – Marcus Smart talks ankle injury

CelticsBlog – Energized OKC Thunder shock Boston’s stale defense

Jester00

As I said on a two man game call in show in 2006 Perk is just like Mark West! So he can’t hurt. Also could with certain match ups
forever_green

Of course we’d take Perk back!
bill_nair

For the right price, ya Perk can have Zeller or Fav’s role.
- Curt Hays
  
  I don’t know why people keep qualifying it like this. The right price would be AT LEAST the sum of those two contracts. Perk is on KG’s level of influence now. He’d be amazing on Rondo’s team.
  - BillRussell
    
    man, to think about the affect Perk would have on the development of Smart, Sulls and Olynyk.. would be soo great. And that would def make Rondo a happy man, having his best friend back on his team. bottom line.. Perk is the definition of a Celtic and would be a perfect addition.
    - Curt Hays
      
      You heard it, folks. @MikeJohnG:disqus thinks we should get Perk back. Do it!
      - BillRussell
        
        Curt what do you think about Greg Monroe in terms of his availability? you think some team will thro big $$ at him?
      - Curt Hays
        
        Greg Monroe is having the best year of his career, just barely. I think he’s going to get overpaid…BUT, if Danny can get him for something reasonable, then, of course, we could benefit from him. From a cost/benefit perspective, I’d rather have Greg Oden at the vet minimum. However, we already have Brandon Bass, and Bass does what Monroe does, but he’s a vet who is more proven.
        
        Greg Monroe is a below-the-rim player. We’ve had NOTHING but below-the-rim Power Forwards. You can talk about Shaq and Chris Wilcox all you want, but neither lasted long. If only we’d had Shaq beginning with Rondo’s rookie season…moving on. Even Paul Pierce plays higher off the ground than Greg Monroe. Greg is young, and he’s an athletic guy, but he is just more duplication.
        
        *In other words, I MIGHT take a Monroe for Bass trade*, but I’m happy with Sullinger, and Monroe would not want to share money and playing time with Kelly and Sully.
      - Sean McLaughlin
        
        No doubt… Gasol or Aldridge should be our focus in my opinion, both being “running bigs”… We can afford two max (or close to max) contracts next year. Rondo’s and (pick one)
      - Curt Hays
        
        I would take Gasol. I would not take Aldridge unless I had a defensive big to go with him. Aldridge is just another version of Kelly…but Kelly both handles the ball and passes better.
      - Curt Hays
        
        Thanks for asking the direct, objective questions. You should do interviews for a living.
      - BillRussell
        
        ohh my god i wish- lol – if only i was attractive as Em Austen- lol
        -but ya i agree, the best stuff i like about Monroe is his size and youth- he packed on serious weight over past 2 year- but i can def see him getting over paid.
        — i LOVE Sulls (and prob would never trade him if it was up to me) and Kelly has and continues to improve incredibly.
        but i still find myself day dreaming of the Celtics somehow getting the ever elusive ‘Center’ – they change the game
      - BillRussell
        
        also a funny thing.. my cousin calls B Bass “Roman Concrete” because he is literally as solid as you can be.
      - Curt Hays
        
        I’d take Deandre Jordan or Blake Griffin. To me, Blake is a new-age (shorter) version of KG…based on skills and team influence, not personality and character.
  - Dave
    
    Absolutely, I’m still surprised the Thunder didn’t amnestied him a year ago to re-sign Harden, but knowing them they probably wanna trade Perk at the deadline to try and get something out of him since it doesn’t look like he would be a part of their future plans as well as the money he can get from potential suitors. We might be their best trading partner since we got a bunch of expirings as well as a plethora of assets to sweeten the deal.
    - Curt Hays
      
      And OKC has a plethora of bigs who can run the floor. If they don’t win the title this year, they’re just stupid.
Curt Hays

To me, there’s no question that Perk would start unless we get another legit Center. He was the last legit Center we had.

Trading Thorton for him? No way. Give them Evan Turner. If he gets the minutes, Marcus Thorton will win more games than ET. ET always hurt us when he was in Philly, but in green, much like Courtney Lee, Jermaine O’Neal, and Jason Terry, ET isn’t really doing that much. And Thorton…that guy is consistent, and he’s a better ball handler than almost the whole team.
KGino

Hell yes we’d take perk back. This team is missing an enforcer in the middle, and on certain nights he could match up better than KO on D. He still makes Dwight howard look like, well, look like perk on offense lol.
FantaXP7

What if we traded Jeff Green for Perk….”Alright guys this experiment was a bust for us and with Durant out you’ll probably want another SF…”
- jgtwentysix
  
  It was a bust that we have an athletic, occasionally dominant starting small forward instead of a declining, plodding backup center? It was only a bust in the sense that we had championship goals that season and it didn’t happen. Green gets all the blame for that even though Perk had been hurt the entire year. Green is also Pierce’s replacement, which he had no shot of living up to. Every general manager ever would take Green over Perk if they were starting from scratch.
  - FantaXP7
    
    Geez relax, it’s more of a satirical comment on how ironic that would be and the common opinion (of media and casual fans) of Green. I like Green and as a Green supporter you can’t deny all of the mixed reactions of his performance.
jgtwentysix

I’m sorry to have to do this but I believe the title of the post contained the phrase “nostalgia aside”? He’s 30 and already on the decline. He averaged 3 points, 5 boards and .5 blocks last year in 20 minutes and there’s thoughts that he would start? On a self-described “pace and space” team? It’s deranged. Of course I love him as an individual and member of a championship squad but in the present day, it makes no sense for him to make any more than the vet minimum as a guy to absorb fouls. I’d rather just give that role to Colton Iverson. And check the last 09-10 postseason against Orlando. Dwight averaged 22 and 11, Perk averaged 5 and 5. Literally every aspect of Perk’s on court abilities is wildly overrated.
- Chris Jones
  
  yea nobody ‘thought he’d be starting’…
  - jgtwentysix
    
    Curt Hays . . . “To me, there’s no question that Perk would start unless we get another legit Center. He was the last legit Center we had.”
straightpride

For 2-3 Mil, I’d take Perk back. However, I don’t think he can excel here the way he used to without a HOF power forward taking pressure off of his shoulders.
Guest

Is anyone else in the NBA even close to averaging a triple double this year??? Most of y’all know my stance on this anyway, but give the guy a max!
Brad P

Not for more than 3 million. Objective Cs fan here