doughboy90650
Fisher for 3 ??? BANG
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http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/16438313?source=rss_blogs_NBA
NEW YORK -- Celtics managing partner Wyc Grousbeck didn't want to talk about the collecting bargaining negotiations he participated in Tuesday. But he had no problem anointing the Celtics as the "hands down" favorites in the Eastern Conference next season.
"I think we should be the favorites in the conference, hands down," Grousbeck said after emerging from a 3 1-2 hour bargaining session between the NBA owners and the players' union. "And we’re going to start proving that Oct. 27."
That's when the Celtics open the 2009-10 season against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But it'll be a very different Celtics team than the one that couldn't get past Orlando in the conference semifinals. For one, Kevin Garnett will be recovered from the knee injury that caused him to miss the entire playoffs. "Just fine," Grousbeck said, when asked how KG's recovery was going.
Also, Grousbeck raved about the Celtics' big offseason acquisition -- the talented, enigmatic, and combustible Rasheed Wallace.
"I personally recruited him with five others guys," Grousbeck said. "My guys lobbied us for the signing because the players who’ve played the game for 10 years at a high level, they know who can help them and what they can do. They know the score. Rasheed was everybody’s first choice: ownership, general manager, and players. We all wanted to have him as a first choice, and we got him."
Grousbeck said he questioned Wallace about his status as the NBA's undisputed king of technical fouls and menace to officials during his 14-year career and was satisfied with 'Sheed's answers.
"He’s a feisty competitor, obviously," Grousbeck said. "We talked about that in the interview and the recruiting session. He said he means it always to try to help the team. He and his former teammates and coaches that you talk to when you do research on him, they love him as a player. Coaches love him, players love to play with him. The refs have mixed feelings, but that’s what refs are for."
Asked if he was prepared for all things Rasheed, Grousbeck said, "I actually told David (Stern) that I was going to modify my baseline ref assistance program a little bit to make up for the fact that we’ve got Rasheed. So I’m going to be doing a little less helping of the refs from the baseline. Just trying to even things out."
As for restricted free agent Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Grousbeck said the Celtics have had "a lot of conversations with him" and added, "We expect to see him in green. But things play out and you never know."
NEW YORK -- Celtics managing partner Wyc Grousbeck didn't want to talk about the collecting bargaining negotiations he participated in Tuesday. But he had no problem anointing the Celtics as the "hands down" favorites in the Eastern Conference next season.
"I think we should be the favorites in the conference, hands down," Grousbeck said after emerging from a 3 1-2 hour bargaining session between the NBA owners and the players' union. "And we’re going to start proving that Oct. 27."
That's when the Celtics open the 2009-10 season against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But it'll be a very different Celtics team than the one that couldn't get past Orlando in the conference semifinals. For one, Kevin Garnett will be recovered from the knee injury that caused him to miss the entire playoffs. "Just fine," Grousbeck said, when asked how KG's recovery was going.
Also, Grousbeck raved about the Celtics' big offseason acquisition -- the talented, enigmatic, and combustible Rasheed Wallace.
"I personally recruited him with five others guys," Grousbeck said. "My guys lobbied us for the signing because the players who’ve played the game for 10 years at a high level, they know who can help them and what they can do. They know the score. Rasheed was everybody’s first choice: ownership, general manager, and players. We all wanted to have him as a first choice, and we got him."
Grousbeck said he questioned Wallace about his status as the NBA's undisputed king of technical fouls and menace to officials during his 14-year career and was satisfied with 'Sheed's answers.
"He’s a feisty competitor, obviously," Grousbeck said. "We talked about that in the interview and the recruiting session. He said he means it always to try to help the team. He and his former teammates and coaches that you talk to when you do research on him, they love him as a player. Coaches love him, players love to play with him. The refs have mixed feelings, but that’s what refs are for."
Asked if he was prepared for all things Rasheed, Grousbeck said, "I actually told David (Stern) that I was going to modify my baseline ref assistance program a little bit to make up for the fact that we’ve got Rasheed. So I’m going to be doing a little less helping of the refs from the baseline. Just trying to even things out."
As for restricted free agent Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Grousbeck said the Celtics have had "a lot of conversations with him" and added, "We expect to see him in green. But things play out and you never know."
