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Irish Coffee: New Celtics, by the numbers 03.02.11 at 11:17 am ET
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Wake up with the Celtics and your daily dose of Irish Coffee …

Not that the following numbers definitively prove anything, but I figured it would be interesting to see the career production of the Celtics’ recent acquisitions compared to the departing C’s.

Here are the  combined per-game averages of Troy Murphy, Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic over the course of 1,327 career games …

  • Points: 36.1
  • Rebounds: 19.6
  • Assists: 4.2
  • Steals: 2.0
  • Blocks: 1.7
  • Turnovers: 4.4
  • Personal fouls: 8.3
  • Field-goal percentage: .457
  • 3-point field-goal percentage: .370
  • Free-throw percentage: .767

And here are the  combined per-game averages of Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels, Semih Erden and Luke Harangody over the course of 1,363 career games …

  • Points: 32.7
  • Rebounds: 16.6
  • Assists: 6.4
  • Steals: 2.7
  • Blocks: 2.7
  • Turnovers: 5.5
  • Personal fouls: 10.8
  • Field-goal percentage: .471
  • 3-point field-goal percentage: .327
  • Free-throw percentage: .703

With three players coming to Boston and five guys leaving town, the Celtics are acquiring more points, rebounds and assists in addition to fewer turnovers and personal fouls. Although, cynics could argue that those same numbers favor the former Celtics’s defensive toughness – as that group recorded more steals, blocks and personal fouls.

Should the Celtics add either Corey Brewer, Rasual Butler or Player X, those stats would push the numbers even further in the current Celtics’ favor. Speaking of which …

ESPN’s Alex Kennedy (via Twitter): “Corey Brewer has narrowed down his options to Boston, San Antonio and Dallas, according to a league source.”

Chicago Tribune‘s Teddy Greenstein: “Veteran swingman Rasual Butler is expected to clear waivers Wednesday, and many around the league believe he will join the Bulls. Reports also indicate Butler, bought out by the Clippers, will garner interest from the Celtics, Hawks, Thunder and Knicks.”

TNT’s David Aldridge (via Twitter): “W/Boston signing Murphy, Cs out of [Leon] Powe discussions. Boston looking for wing with other roster spot. Powe keeps talking w/NYK, NO, MEM, MIA.”

KENDRICK PERKINS WARMING TO OKLAHOMA CITY

On Tuesday, the green in Kendrick Perkins‘ heart turned from a clover with four leaves to $34.8 million over four years. Here’s what he told The Oklahoman after signing long-term with the Thunder…

  • “It kind of felt like the worst day of my life when I got traded from the C’s. But when I got here … everything just kind of blew me away. Overwhelming.”
  • “One thing I don’t miss about Boston is the weather. I ain’t gon’ lie about that.”

It’s too bad Perkins is enjoying himself so much, because eventually we won’t be getting any more of these gems from SadPerk.tumblr.com …

BILL RUSSELL STATUE IN THE WORKS

According to The Boston Globe, Mayor Thomas M. Menino is developing a strategy to get a Bill Russell statue built in Boston. Two city councilors have jumped on board to endorse the idea that was raised first this season by our own Paul Flannery.

The guys over at Red’s Army got the entire resolution from Boston City Councilor Ayanna Presley‘s Facebook page. I loved this line …

WHEREAS, Bill Russell entirely revolutionized the center position and the game as a whole

That makes it official then. How about this? Let’s not list the councilors who endorse the idea. Let me know when there’s someone who actually opposes the idea. Until then, I don’t want to hear about a strategy or a meeting about it. Just tell us when it’s going to be constructed.

BRIAN SCALABRINE GETTING THE BRIAN SCALABRINE TREATMENT 

As was the case in Boston, Bulls fans are pining for Brian Scalabrine‘s services late in games that have long since been decided. I particularly enjoyed Scalabrine’s Maximus-from-”Gladiator” “Are you not entertained”-like speech to the Chicago Tribune …

“I don’t like it,” he said, “but I embrace it. I don’t love the individualism in basketball. I think it takes away … for instance, when I go into the game and a guy like Lu [Luol Deng] comes out, they cheer for me. But what about what Lu just did? His effort out there is really causing us to win games.

“On the other hand, it is entertainment. And if they want to be entertained, then let them be entertained.”

(Have a question, concern or conception for tomorrow’s Irish Coffee or a future mailbag? Send an e-mail tobrohrbach@weei.com or a Twitter message to @brohrbach.)

Read More: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics, Brian Scalabrine, Kendrick Perkins Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • paul

    More vicious dishonestly. The Trade wasn’t about all those other folks you mention. It was about Krstic and Green for Perkins and Nate, and even those numbers aren’t fair to compare, since Nate was not a starter for us.

    But, now that you mention it, isn’t it interesting to note that Perkins, BY HIMSELF, averaged close to the same number of rebounds as the two other guys TOGETHER, even though Krstic played the same minutes per game, and Green played over ten minutes per game more? But hey, Perk was a real stiff, wasn’t he? He also averaged more points per game than Krstic, who has been sold to us as a far superior scorer. AND he anchored our defense.

    But what does the truth matter when your job is to sell?

  • paul

    But, you know, if you REALLY want to mix in Nate, then what you get from him and Kendrick together is superior defense, superior rebounding, superior assisting AND superior scoring.

    But no, much better to mix in all the other deals which could and probably should have happened whether or not we did The Trade. That’s the only way to skew the numbers into a selling point for The Trade. You have to mix in a lot of irrelevant information.

  • Ben Rohrbach

    Paul, take “those other guys” out of the equation, and the numbers favor the new guys even more. I’m not sure of your point there.

    Perkins scored 7.3 points in 26.1 minutes per game. Krstic scored 7.6 points in 21.8 minutes per game. Krstic/Green averaged 9.8 rebounds a game (not to mention Murphy’s 4.2 boards a game). Perkins averaged 8.1.

    Please tell me where I said Perkins was a stiff or Krstic was a “far” superior scorer. But what does the truth matter?

  • Ben Rohrbach

    Nate/Perkins career per-game averages combined: 17.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.2 steals, 3.1 turnovers 5.3 personal fouls

    Green/Krstic career per-game averages combined: 24.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.3 steals, 3.1 turnovers, 5.6 personal fouls

    Yup, sounds like superior rebounding and scoring to me.

  • patriotmarty12

    Shell shock, I think this trade caused that 4 some people,it came out of nowhere so for some itz still hard 2 wrap around ones mind. That being said on paper right now we are a better team, but judgment comes with weather they hang number 18 this year. I like thier chances better today than I did last week.

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