A Trade With No Perks...

[Sorry to those who, for some reason, might've be expecting a post about Glee tonight...]

Say it Ainge so.

While most of the world was at work today, Celtics President Danny Ainge was working to...dismember the team? Wait a second. Let me try to get this straight. We ship out big man Kendrick Perkins and spark plug Nate Robinson - two proven playoff players - in exchange for a guy who has already proven not to work out for us, in Jeff Green, and a guy who's name looks like the letters I just picked up in scrabble, in Nenad Krstic. [For the record, if you haven't downloaded "Words with Friends" yet - basically a Scrabble knock-off - do it. Probably one of the most addicting games out there right now. Thank God I didn't discover this game in college.]

And as if losing Perk and Donkey wasn't enough, Danny boy ships out Semih Erden (another Scrabble player) and the Irish Cavemonster, Luke Harangody to the Cavs for...a second round pick?!?! Como say what? I mean, I've heard of making cap room, but this is straight up early spring cleaning. Why are we clearing out space for a team that can't even show up to practice without wheelchairs and crutches?

Now I'm usually a guy who tends to take the optimist side of mid-season trade involving my favorite team. I can usually understand the logistics and necessities that go into making moves through front offices and management and what-have-you. I try to look at the deal through the

GM's eyes. Heck, they must know more than I do, right? I mean, at first it was a shock, but after a while I could begin to understand why Belichick sent Randy Moss packing in exchange for a third round pick. Even the Manny Ramirez trade 3 years ago wasn't necessarily a blind-side hit. Yes, I weeped like a little girl when it happened, but it's not like I didn't see it coming.

There's only one real trade that's occurred from a Boston sports team that I never really understood or accepted. And that day was Dec. 1, 2005 when Bruins GM Mike O'Connell shipped out beloved captain Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks for Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau. Stupid. Stupid

stupid.

While this trade had at least some meaning in it - Jeff Green can spread out the floor and Krstic is, well, big enough - I just don't see how this trade makes the team any better. If anything, this trade was perfect for the Thunder, who needed a big presence inside like Perk. Yes, Perk has been injury-prone, but when he's healthy he's dominant. And nasty Nate is nasty Nate. You know, a guy who'll jump on your back during the playoffs. Literally.

Anyway, as I predicted, the Celtics-Nuggets game tonight was atrocious. Talk about a matchup between two teams who just look plain empty. The injury-laden Celtics barely had enough players to put out on the court (after the Big 4 - and even they didn't play a lot of minutes) and the new Melo-less Nuggets looked just as hollow. It was like watching pong. The two sides were just...there. It looked like neither team wanted to be there, and I'm pretty sure the Celtics just stopped playing after 3 quarters. 89-75 loss. Woo. Can't wait for the playoffs. Woo...

[Post-note: just found out Perkins was "very upset and emotional" about being traded. 8 years. Gone. Thanks Ainge. You meany.]