Boston Celtics Made Right Move With Nate Robinson Over Eddie House
[picappgallerysingle id="9084628"]The images of Eddie House in a Celtic uniform make me smile. I remember Eddie burying dagger threes to extend leads to the Scal time level in 08. I also remember the guy hitting big time shot after big time shot in the 08 Finals. The man’s long range bombs helped bring Boston back in the game four win. The man was a beast in 09 as well. He would fire away all season and come close to the record for highest three point field goal percentage for a Celtic. However, for the team to continue winning into the future, this does not mean that a player has to wear the green laundry for life no matter how many great memories that the man might have provided. A lot of people still do not understand that.
Now I think my previous thoughts on Eddie House show I will always cherish the man’s time in Boston. However, the time for him to go was last season. Danny Ainge knew this. House was not the guy that the Celtics needed off the bench. Let us look at the team before the trade deadline. The team was struggling through the injuries and malaise of the 2010 regular season. Pierce was injured and not playing well. Ray Allen was not quite right with trade rumors haunting him. KG was getting himself healthy for the playoffs. Marquis Daniels (the defacto backup point guard to begin the year) was hurt. The bench was struggling to find rhythm with no one to really set the offense up. The team was also over using Rajon Rondo. House was not the type of guy that could bring the ball up and get the offense into motion. Pierce and Allen not quite right left less space for House to operate. No one to set the offense up to get House the ball for a three ball also hurt him. Eddie House was struggling. The team did not need a guard that was a shooter that could not hit his shot and could not bring the ball up. The team needed something different.
Welcome Nate Robinson. Nate came with some knocks. He was a gifted scorer, but people felt he was not a team guy in New York. Nate was not going to help the Celtics to his fullest potential in 2010. Nate rightfully struggled at times. No point guard is going to grasp an offense in that little time, let alone a shooting point guard like Robinson. His struggles brought pining for House. However, Ainge knew that Robinson was not going to come in and dominate. He got Robinson because he liked his skill set more than House’s and felt that at some point that Robinson would win Boston some games.
Despite limited knowledge of the offense, a reputation for not being a team guy, and playing in a reduced role Nate helped this team to the NBA Finals with what he brought to the table. Nate could score in more ways than House. House needed a player to help him create his offense. This was not the case with Robinson. We saw Robinson score off the drive as well as create his own jump shot. Defenses had to cover him differently that they would have Eddie House. Nate was also a better energy defender than House due to the fact he is a lot quicker. Nate could also bring the ball up the floor to give Rondo a breather. The result of these skills was Robinson helped his team. Robinson’s offense helped win games against Orlando and LA. Robinson was microwave offense at times and that gave Rondo the breather he needed. He would drive and score or dribble the ball up and shoot. Eddie House could not do those types of things. Eddie would have been swarmed by the Lakers defense that swallowed the supremely talented Rondo at times.
This season Robinson will have a full training camp and a better second unit to play with. The result is I expect a big year from the diminutive in stature guard. I think the trade was already validated with the Finals appearance. Throwing sentimentality out the window, the trade was the right call. If Robinson can create some big time moments like House did than the last people on the House island will vanish. My money is on me having some great Nate Robinson memories like my 08 House memories.
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