| 14 July 2009
A long time buddy of mine who is a sometime writer here is - gasp! - a Celtics fan. Rob writes...
Let me start with the caveat that the Celtics can do no wrong.
Even if the Sheed sets a new record for Ts this season I will still support the decision to bring him in as a free agent. If Danny Ainge wants to suit up again and run the point I can probably get behind that too.
But there is a situation right now where I start to waiver...
Imagine signing a contract with a big company, going in to work every day for minimum wage, busting a gut, outperforming your contract on a regular basis, taking on the highly paid corporate giants from other companies, even filling in for the office superstar when he called in sick for a couple of months. Then in the last few weeks of your contract, you go down with, let's call it a flesh eating virus and you can't go into work anymore.
What is the obligation of the company at that point? They pay you until your contract expires and then decide not to offer you a new contract. Has the company fulfilled its legal obligations? Sure it has, but does the company have a moral obligation to the loyal employee?
Given that this is an NBA blog the analogy above obviously has to come back to basketball.
Leon Powe has played the past 3 years for the Celtics, helped then win a championship and had career highs in minutes, rebounds, assists and steals this season and averages 7.7 points per game.
He's a pretty handy back up who allowed KG to sit out plenty of minutes late in the championship season and was doing a fine job this past season. On March 13, 2009, Powe started in place of the injured Kevin Garnett, scoring a career-high 30 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking a career-high 5 shots, in a 102-92 Celtics victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Injured at the end of the season attempting to recover from a right knee strain. He returned in time for the playoffs, only to tear the ACL and meniscus in his left knee in Game 2 of the first round against the Chicago Bulls.
What then do the Boston Celtics owe Leon Powe?
What then do the Boston Celtics owe Leon Powe?
Do they really want to commit around $1 million per season for a guy who will miss at least the first half of the season? Does any of that make good business sense?
Nothing, probably not and not at all.
But something in the back of my mind is still uncomfortable.
This is a guy who earned his place, worked hard each and every day, gave all that he had for the team and then got hurt doing it.
This is the very cloudy moral and ethical area. It's easy for me to say sign the guy, it's not my money and I don't have to balance the books.
Honestly, I'm not sure what I really think, although my gut says the moral imperative applies here and the Celtic organization owes Leon Powe.
What do you think?
What do you think?
