Telfair for a Draft Pick is a bad deal

by David Pincus
2006-06-29

I figured out why Isiah Thomas got so many jobs, it’s because he finished his career (much like Reggie Miller) where everyone had a charm for him. So people were reluctant to criticize him, which allowed Isiah to manage the Raptors, CBA, Pacers and Knicks. Danny Ainge’s post-playing career has gone very similarly.

I don’t like saying; I like Danny Ainge and think that he John Thompson and Kevin Harlan were the best announcing trio to ever be on TNT. But…he’s a very poor manager, and there’s just no way around it.

The latest deal came about two hours before the draft where the Celtics traded the #7 pick, Raef LaFrentz and Dan Dickau to Portland for Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, and a second-round pick in 2008.

For Boston the transaction makes very little sense. They had apparently been scouting all week long for a Point Guard but wasn’t completely satisfied with any of the options. So instead they picked up Telfair, citing that he was the best player available.

For one thing, Telfair is barely a step up from Dan Dickau. Telfair isn’t a parameter shooter nor is he a conventional PG. Really he’s just good at getting to the paint and hitting layups.

Let’s keep in mind that Telfair was the Point Guard on the worst team in the League last season. In it he averaged just 3.6 APG and couldn’t maintain the offense. When Steve Blake came in, the team got better and Telfair was forced to the bench. That doesn’t sound like the guy who you want running your team.

Telfair is destined to never be more than a Travis Best-ish player who can score off the bench. The trade would be decent by itself, but including your first-round pick as well is out of the question. You have to at least try drafting a PG, because it wouldn’t take much to get a more efficient one than Telfair.

So rather than hoping that their next PG could have Chris Paul-like potential, Celtics fans will have to come to the realization that if Telfair starts as Point Guard, it’ll be a downgrade even from Delonte West. If Randy Foye, the guard who they traded, has a productive career, it’ll be another poor draftday for the Celtics.