Landry is still looking to make it big, playing for the Knicks in the summer league.

Does everyone remember who Marcus Landry is? I didn’t think so. In case you didn’t, Landry was the throw-in player included in the Nate-for-Eddie swap. He played one game for the Celtics, scoring 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 blocks and 0 steals. As you can see, his Celtics career was very productive.

Landry spent most of his time as a Celtics employee playing for the Maine Red Claws, averaging 11 points and 4 rebounds for the C’s NBA D-League affiliate.

He was then cut by the Celtics, in a move that took him by surprise. Not the move, exactly, but the cold nature with which it was executed.

“Anybody would have been disappointed,” Landry said after playing for the Knicks summer league team. “It was a situation that wasn’t explained to me. I can understand it’s a business, but the way it was handled was unprofessional. Personally, I had no reason given to me why it was done. Every time I step on the court I think about that. It’s something that goes through my mind a lot.”

Listen, I understand Landry’s desire of an explanation. If I got fired, I’d want to know why too. But after averaging only 11 points and 4 rebounds in the D-League, did he really need it spelled out for him? Marcus, if you read this blog, you are about to find out the reason you were waived:

You just aren’t very good. It’s that easy. Sorry you had to hear it from me first.

YOU try finding a picture from his Celtics days.

As the Celtics continue the end of the regular season and prepare for the playoffs, they will be down one player: Marcus Landry. The 6’7 combo forward has been waived after playing only one game for the Celtics since being traded from New York to Boston.

In that one game, a Feb. 25 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Landry scored 0 points, 0 assists, 0 rebounds, 0 steals, and 0 blocks in only 3 minutes. He spent most of his time as a Celtic with the Maine Red Claws of the NBDL, where Landry averaged 11.4 ppg in 13 games of largely underwhelming play.

Though Landry doesn’t figure to be a part of Boston’s future, his release comes as a surprise. I believe the Celtics are still obligated to pay his entire contract and, at this stage of the season, are unable to fill his roster spot with someone who will be playoff-eligible. I’m unsure why the Celtics would make this move, other than being completely convinced that he does not possess NBA talent.  Perhaps luxury tax purposes?  But that’s only speculation.  I don’t know the tax ramifications of such a release.

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 »

Despite trailing early, the Maine Red Claws came back against Springfield, defeating the Armor 118-107 and extending the Armor’s road losing streak to 0-and-forever.
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The Maine Red Claws again trounced the T-Birds, winning 128-111 on Military Appreciation Night.
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I always laugh when I see Gabe Pruitt.

With 13 players on the roster (excluding Marcus Landry, assigned to the Maine Red Claws) and only 12 allowed to play, there has to be an odd man out.  So far, it’s been Brian Scalabrine.

While Doc Rivers has told Scal to stay ready, that his time may come, there was a jarring paragraph from Steve Bulpett’s piece in yesterday’s Boston Herald.

Translated, that means that with 15 games left in the season, Scalabrine will play only if: A) Rivers wants an extra forward active; B) a teammate is injured; C) the Celtics decide to rest regulars at the end of the regular season. It is, thus, entirely possible that Scalabrine has played his last game as a Celtic, but he sincerely hopes that is not the case.

Wow. Scal might have played his final game as a Celtic.  It’s hard to believe.

Some may see Scal as nothing more than a towel-waving Human Victory Cigar or Human White Flag, but not me.  I see Scal for what he is: a professional, someone who’s always ready to play even though he knows he probably won’t.

Before last season, Scal had done little to earn his any of his $15 million contract.  He’d been largely a disappointment, becoming the butt of jokes more often than a difference-maker in games.  I made jokes about him, too.  It was tough not to: He’s as goofy, lumpy and, well, white as NBA players come.  He was making $3 million a year to sit at the end of the bench, and once in a while play in a blowout.

But something weird happened last year: Jokes about Scal stopped being funny.  He became a valuable member of the team, and played — *gasp* — well.  With Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe out for the playoffs, and Mikki Moore struggling to find a pulse, Scal became the first big man off the bench.  For anyone who’d seen Scal play in Boston, that would seem to spell disaster.  But he was solid.  Good, even.

He gave the Celtics 20 legitimate minutes per game, made 45% of his three-pointers, and even somehow found it inside that rounded body of his to defend Hedo Turkoglu and defend him well.  The Celtics didn’t end up beating Orlando, but Scal wasn’t at all the reason why.  He had proven his worth.

But it’s a new year, and Scal has been ice-cold.  His touch has eluded him, and with Marquis Daniels, Nate Robinson, Michael Finley, Rasheed Wallace and Shelden Williams added to the mix, Scal is again on the outside looking in.  Even with Scal nursing a shooting percentage even Rasheed frowns upon, there aren’t as many Scal jokes going around.  We remember how he stepped up when the Celtics needed him, shouldering a load he’d never been faced with in Boston.

A year after proving himself, Scal might have already played his last game as a Celtic.  Still, he hopes to be back in Boston next season.

You know what’s weird?

I hope he is, too.