Semih Erden, one of the C’s three draft picks from 2008 (along with Billy Sky Walker and J.R. Giddens), might finally be heading to the United States to join the C’s roster. (Hoop Market via CelticsBlog)

Semih Erden is closer to land in the Boston Celtics next season. The 23-year-old Turkish center could have already reached to an agreement with the NBA franchise, and the deal could be signed in the next days.

Danny Ainge described Erden as an “over seven-foot center that has some potential,” but Erden has largely been a disappointment overseas. From what I can gather, Erden has nice physical skills but doesn’t work hard enough nor have the necessary skill to make an impact game in and game out. He averaged 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in the Turkish Basketball League last season. For perspective, the TBL is a second-tier league in Europe (behind the Spain and Russian leagues, and perhaps more). Erden isn’t ready for the NBA, but with Kendrick Perkins injured and Sheed probably retiring, he might play some minutes early next season. FML.

This first dunker looks a lot like J.R. Giddens. Jumps like him too.

Marcus Landry is best-known among Celtics fans as “the throw-in to the Nate Robinson trade.”  As the throw-ins to the Knicks from the same trade (Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens) have been tossed into action and actually made an impact in the NBA, Landry was assigned to the D-League’s Maine Red Claws. Read more »

J.R. Giddens, the other athletic specimen the Celtics traded away for Nate Robinson, has been cleared by doctor’s to play in tonight’s game. (Giddens’ Twitter)

Should get to play today got cleared by the doc might have sum rust but I’m ready to rock

It’s unsure whether Giddens will actually get any playing time, but he should be available.  He has yet to play a single game for the Knicks.

Shut your mouth and work on your game, J.R.

Congrats to bill walker career high 21 pts 2nite amazing what ppl can do when they get an opportunity

Is that a not-so-subtle dig at Doc Rivers? Giddens, who mired on the bench — when he wasn’t in the D-League, at least — for pretty much his entire career in Boston, seems to be calling Doc out for never giving him a chance.

Giddens isn’t the only one who seems to think he and Walker deserve a chance. After Walker’s 21 points, a collective sigh went out in Celtics Nation, as people wondered if he could have done the same thing for Boston. Jeff Clark even went so far as to wonder whether the Celtics might resign Walker after the season. (Sorry, Jeff, but if he plays well for the remainder of the season, New York might pick up his team option, which would cost them only $854,389.)

I’m here to bring you guys back to reality. The Knicks were down 40 points most of the game. They play a free-flowing offense designed to get out in transition, and Walker can capitalize on his team’s pace and the minutes he receives due to the fact that, frankly, the Knicks have zero very good players. Behind Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, rather than Danilo Gallinari and a washed-up T-Mac, and in a predominantly halfcourt offense, Walker was never going to get much time.

Would I have liked to see him get a few minutes, here and there? Sure, I don’t think he would have done any worse than Tony Allen. He would have been a young, athletic wing for a team that could use one. But he never would have been a 20-point scorer for the Celtics, and his defensive attitude looked weak when he played for New York against the C’s. He allowed his man to get to the rim plenty of times and didn’t seem to ever want to box out. (On second thought, he would have fit right in with the C’s starters.) Seriously, though, not even his high-flying dunks against Boston could make me overlook his poor defensive effort. To be fair, it might be because New York doesn’t exactly stress defense.

Now back to you, J.R., the person making the tweet-jab at Doc Rivers. I would have had you last on the depth chart. You’re athletic and strong, but your game lacks polish. Go work on it, instead of making digs at your old coach.

Even if he should give some youngsters more of a chance.

Marcus Landry is a player you can really root for.

If you saw the Eddie House tribute video during last night’s game against New York, as well as Nate Robinson’s standing ovation, you could have thought they were the only two players involved in the trade. But — spoiler alert! — there were actually three others traded.

Marcus Landry has been the most overlooked of the three. The brother of Carl Landry — one of the Sacramento Kings’ newest members — Marcus seems to be a player you really want to root for. Seriously, check out this story from ESPN, back when Landry was still in colllege at the University of Wisconsin. (Via ESPNBoston)

He became a father in college. Not just of one child, either: He and wife Efueko Osaga-Landry had three. He had to keep food on his family’s table, despite earning no income while trying to balance the rigors of big-time Division One Basketball and a normal class schedule. Landry somehow found the time — between cooking dinner (he’s apparently a great cook), cleaning diapers, and earning his degree — to improve himself from a 5.9-ppg scorer as a sophomore into an NBA talent as a senior.

His college coach, Bo Ryan, said having kids and starting a family helped Landry in every aspect of life. (same ESPN link)

“I don’t like to be pie in the sky, but I do believe it’s not coincidental that when [Landry] got married, things changed,” Ryan said. “He’s gotten more mature in every aspect of his life.”

Read the rest of the story. It’s really impressive to see the maturity level Landry had even in college. I don’t know if he’ll ever play a minute as a Celtic, but I know I’ll be rooting for him to make it in the NBA.

Landry wasn’t the only “other player” in the deal.

One of the others was Bill Walker. Despite a lack of playing time, Walker was sad to leave the Celtics. But he knows he’ll have an opportunity to play with the Knicks, and he’s ready for that after riding the pine for a couple years in Boston. (Boston Herald)

“It definitely is,” Walker said [when asked if playing for the Celtics was a double-edged sword]. “You want to get out there. That’s the only way you’ll really learn the game. You go out there and you’re allowed to make mistakes and learn from the mistakes. But at the same time you always want to play on a good team and have a chance of winning an NBA championship. That’s what we all play for.

“You’ve got a group in the other locker room that has goals in mind, trying to win a championship this year. They don’t have room for mistakes, and that’s why it’s hard to get in the game over there. Over here right now, (we) might not make the playoffs – really just trying out guys.”

Walker has already started to make the most of his “tryout,” with two dunks and overall solid play in yesterday’s loss to Boston. J.R. Giddens didn’t play, but he too is excited for the chance to earn a spot in the rotation… even though he seems to wish he could have had a better opportunity in Boston.

“I came up here and I worked hard. You know, I don’t feel like I got too many opportunities to play. I’m not trying to have any bad blood, because you know I enjoyed everybody in the organization. I’m still cool with everybody now. It’s just I don’t feel like I got a chance to get out there and get any really good minutes and show what I could do.

“Hopefully I can get a chance to show what I can do in New York, because any ballplayer just wants to get out there and play. When you’re working hard and not playing, it’s a very mentally challenging thing to go through for almost two years.”

I was actually pretty upset the Celtics had to lose Walker and Giddens in the deal. Walker, especially, showed signs of promise and it is still clear that he has the talent to be a valuable player in the NBA.

But I understand you’ve got to give up some talent to get some in return, and Nate Robinson is an upgrade from House.

The other guy the Celtics got, Landry? I don’t know how good a player he is, or could become, but I do know I’ll be cheering for him.

And not just because he’s on my favorite team.