The perfect way to end the Old Year: Danny Ainge addresses the Sheed possibility. (ESPN, via WEEI)

“I don’t know, I know that he’s been in our locker room a few of times this year and he’s been to a couple of practices,” said Ainge. “I know the guys are teasing him about that — about coming back. He’s said that he doesn’t want to come back.

“I’m not sure there’s room for Rasheed, unless we just have a whole bunch of injuries. Right now our center position, we have three healthy centers, we have a fourth one that’s not too far away in [Kendrick Perkins]. Right now, I’m more concerned about our backcourt with Delonte [West] and Rajon down, and Nate [Robinson] not quite 100 percent. Again, with [heightened minutes for Ray Allen and Paul Pierce], we need Avery [Bradley] and Von [Wafer] and Luke [Harangody] to step up and contribute.”

Pressed on if the injury to Garnett was more severe, would he put more consideration into Wallace, Ainge noted, “I don’t see him at the same position as KG.”

Ainge is completely right.

Let’s forget for a second how bad Sheed was last season. Let’s forget all the ill-advised (and bricked) three-pointers, the piss-poor defensive rotations, and the inexcusable lack of rebounding. Let’s forget his penchant for technical fouls, his lazy attitude, and the fact that I’m still 75% convinced that Sheed’s laissez-faire mentality led to last year’s half-assed regular season effort. Let’s forget all that. Just wipe it all out of your brains.

Still, Sheed wouldn’t fit on the Celtics. They already have four capable centers (yes, I’m counting Semih Erden and Jermaine O’Neals zombie), and Sheed can’t possibly play power forward. He’s far too slow. So even if KG misses more time than we expect, Sheed can’t help replace him.

Even if the Celtics would want him to. Which, after the debacle that was last year, I would hope they wouldn’t.

Eroded skills don’t lie.

If there was one thing I wouldn’t want a teammate to say about me, it would be that I have no fight. I’d rather have a teammate say I was the least-skilled player ever, or as ugly as Tyrone Hill, or that I had a jump shot not even Ben Wallace would want. Okay, maybe I’d rather have no fight than be as ugly as Tyrone Hill, but still: One of the worst things a teammate could possibly say about you is that you have no fight.

I now forward you to Charlotte, where that insult is precisely the one Gerald Wallace just hurled at D.J. Augustin, while comparing Augustin to former Bobcat Raymond Felton. (Hang on, folks. I will tie the Celtics into this in time.) Read more »

Ken Berger of CBS Sports addresses the “Could Sheed return?” question. His belief: Sheed’s retirement don’t lie.

With Jermaine O’Neal out several weeks with a sore left knee, you and I both know what name comes to mind as a free-agent replacement: Rasheed Wallace. While ‘Sheed’s agent, Bill Strickland, wouldn’t completely rule it out, it doesn’t sound like Wallace is even contemplating the possibility of coming out of retirement – for the Celtics or anybody else. “I have not talked to Danny [Ainge, the Celtics’ president] or Rasheed about that, but I think Rasheed is through,” Strickland said. Wallace, 36, isn’t believed to be working out on the court in any capacity in the event a team might be interested in his services. And while it’s hard to imagine Wallace coming back with the NBA’s tech-happy mandate to the referees, it’s more of a physical issue. As far back as when Wallace was still with the Pistons, he was known to sometimes leave his shoes on between games in order to keep playing. If he’d removed them, his ankles would’ve swelled up so badly that he wouldn’t have been able to get them back on.

My own notes on this report:

1. “Sheed’s agent, Bill Strickland, wouldn’t completely rule it out”

So you’re saying there’s a chance?

2. “I have not talked to Danny or Rasheed about that, but I think Rasheed is through”

My first thought was, “Well, he hasn’t talked to anyone, so what does his opinion mean?” Then I realized, “Wait, he’s the agent. If nobody’s talked to him, there’s probably nothing going on.”

3. “Wallace, 36, isn’t believed to be working out on the court in any capacity”

Sheed might be coming back after all. He’s already working himself into game shape.

4. “As far back as when Wallace was still with the Pistons, he was known to sometimes leave his shoes on between games in order to keep playing. If he’d removed them, his ankles would’ve swelled up so badly that he wouldn’t have been able to get them back on.”

Damn, maybe there was actually a reason Sheed was so freaking lazy. I can’t imagine living with ankles like that, never mind playing professional basketball.

And lastly, even if Sheed DID want to come back: would you even want him to? Wasn’t one year of Sheed painful enough, even if he did turn it on in the playoffs like he always promised?

Upon hearing that Doc Rivers had minor throat surgery yesterday, I had only one thought (after hoping that he’s okay, of course):

That’s what happens when you spend a year coaching Rasheed Wallace.

Kevin Garnett thought training camp went well. (ESPN Boston)

On team bonding at camp
“I felt like it was a real good camp. This team has a ying and a yang, if you will. We step on the floor, we’re very competitive, there’s a lot of good games, a lot of good stuff in practice. After practice, we enjoy each other, which is a riot, as you’ve probably seen already. It’s a quick mix, quick chemistry bond. Guys are linking without even a lot of time with each other, it’s good for our team and our morale.”

The more I read, the more I consider the fact that Rasheed Wallace might have been a virus. It’s common knowledge that Sheed didn’t give a damn about the regular season. He never did. Neither did his teams in Detroit. Neither did his team in Boston last season. Doesn’t take a genius to see the common link. I’ll give you a hint: he has a weird birth mark on his head, was a perennial underacheiver and once wore a championship belt for an entire season.

Suddenly, Sheed’s gone and the C’s love playing basketball again. See you later, big fella. Your teammates loved you, but I’ve got a feeling you dragged them all down. Attitude don’t lie.

Then again, maybe I’m speaking too soon. If the C’s spend another three months this season playing .500 ball, please discard everything I just wrote. Thanks.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Ah, complaining already.

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Davis shrugged his shoulders during media day when asked what the addition of veteran big men Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal meant for him this season, then sounded off on his situation. ‘I don’t even know, I gotta find out what my role is,’ said Davis. ‘With Rasheed [Wallace] last year, I had to become a center. Now? I don’t know. Do I become a [power forward]? Do I go back to playing the 4? We’ll see. It’s difficult because, as a player, you kind of don’t understand where [the organization is] going or what they are doing. No matter what I do — I can play great — it’s still not enough. I’m just here to help the team wherever possible, any way I can. Whenever I find my role, I’ll do it to the max, the only way I can.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “‘It feels great to be back in green and white, where I started my career,’ he said. ‘That’s a great compliment, being picked up from a team that’s coming off a Game Seven [of the NBA Finals] and got their eyes set on a championship. To be called to render my services to help this team put up another banner, that’s an amazing feeling.’ The Celtics believe West can bolster their bench and add versatility to their backcourt. ‘He plays both ends of the court, brings great defense, intensity, shooting, passing. He’s a pretty complete player,’ Ainge said of West, who averaged 8.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds last season for the Cavaliers. West hopes to help the C’s by being selfless and sacrificing himself for the betterment of the team. He understands their “we-not-me” mentality and is on board with their championship ambitions. Even though the Celtics only won 24 games the last time West played in Boston, he has no question of their motivation this time around. ‘It’s definitely a different vibe in the locker room,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot more maturity going on around here than last time I was here. You can just sense it in the air — guys want to win. I walk through the locker room, everyone here has that gold trophy in their pupils.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - ”‘I was like, man, looking at the Celtics roster, that’s the first thing I was thinking. I’d love to go back there and help their team win,’ West said in an interview otherwise limited – per team order – to basketball questions. ‘Just watching them play in the playoffs, it was hard not to be a fan of the way they were playing. I’ve always been a fan of coach (Doc) Rivers’ style and the way he likes to get things done. It was always on my mind. I chit-chatted with Paul Pierce a few times over the summer and I expressed how I felt and how I could help the team. It’s definitely a different vibe in the locker room (compared to his previous stint). There’s a lot more maturity going on around here than the last time I was here. You can just sense it in the air. Guys want to win. When I walk through the locker room, everyone here has the gold trophy in their pupils. You can see it. You can feel it. There’s a lot of excitement here. Everyone’s so selfless here. They’re sacrificing for the greater good of the team and that’s the type of player I am any way, so I think I’ll fit in here perfect.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “The tip-off came on Thursday when Ainge mentioned Delonte West several times before the team’s charity golf outing. This was Rivers Monday: ‘I don’t think I’ve ever coached a more competitive human being.’ West will have to sit out the first 10 games of the season to serve an NBA-ordered suspension, but when he is able to come back, the Celtics see him as a multiple-position defender and multi-talented guard. ‘Delonte is huge for us because when you lose a guy like Tony Allen, he was our defensive stopper,” Pierce said. “Delonte is probably going to fill in that role. He brings some versatility to that position that we haven’t had since he left.’ They all wanted West back: Pierce, Perkins and Rondo. Truthfully, they never wanted him to leave and Ainge didn’t really want to give him up. ‘If it wasn’t for such a good player it would have been very difficult for me to trade Delonte,’ Ainge said, referencing the Ray Allen deal. ‘He’s a perfect fit for what we need.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – O‘Neal has laid off hamburgers, fried chicken, macaroni, and cornbread to stay in shape this summer. He clocks in at 345 pounds, a weight he plans on maintaining throughout the season. His teammates have noticed how well he is moving on the court. ‘We’ve played in a couple pickup games,’ said Paul Pierce. ‘He looks good, just him getting up and down the court. In one pickup game, he got three fast-break layups. You don’t really hardly hear about Shaq getting fast-break layups. But he’s looked good. I think he’s looked better than I guess people anticipated. A lot of people say he comes and gets in shape in camp, but he looks really good in the pickup games we’ve playing the last couple of weeks.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “You probably have heard this one before, but on the eve of the final (or second-to-last) roundup, it’s worth repeating. After a week of playing pick-up ball with his aging, but willing, teammate, Paul Pierce is sold on Kevin Garnett. ‘KG is one guy that looks great the way he’s moving, his attitude, he’s over that injury and he’s ready to play some ball right now,’ Pierce said during yesterday’s Celtics media day/training camp kickoff. Similar hopes were floated at this time last year, only to drift off the radar until playoff time. The difference yesterday was that Garnett, who chafed and squirmed at any mention of his surgically repaired knee last season, was his own biggest proponent. ‘Lot more confidence in my leg and body,’ he said. ‘I feel a lot better. I’m eager to start camp. I don’t like us, I love us.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Garnett labored through much of last season while coming off knee surgery that curtailed both his 2008-09 season and Boston’s hopes that season of defending its 17th NBA title. He admitted Monday that, at no point last season, did he ever feel 100 percent, something that wore on him mentally, even when his play improved in the postseason. ‘More mentally than anything, last year was hard for me, just because I knew I was playing through some difficult times,’ said Garnett. ‘I’m not one to make excuses; I’m not one to be out here [expletive] and complaining about things. I’m one to work, to come in here and continue to work, and try to better myself. That’s what I did.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – [Paul Pierce said:] “‘Truthfully, man, I had the same feeling about this team in [before the 2007-08 season], when we got Kevin [Garnett] on the team and Ray [Allen]. The additions that we added — [Shaquille O'Neal], Jermaine [O'Neal], Delonte [West], and some of the other rookies — this is one of the most talented teams, top to bottom. It’s more talented than the teams than I’ve been on since I’ve been a Celtic. We talked about this last week when we all had a chance to play pickup with Shaq and KG. We were talking about the energy that’s around here again. Guys felt it — the urgency to win another championship. Guys were talking about the memories of Game 7, as far as putting that behind us. I know it hasn’t really gotten out of my head. As much as you want to put it behind you, it’s hard. You can’t. The only way to erase that memory is to go out and try to get another championship. Guys are motivated. The energy is back in the building and we’re ready.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “‘You know, Shaq is going to be Shaq,’ captain Paul Pierce said. ‘All the publicity and all the circus that’s going to come with it, I mean, he’s one of the biggest stars that this game has ever seen, so you’ve got to expect that. I’m happy to say I have a chance to play with him. Just to be in the locker room with him for a year or two or however long he decides to play, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Hopefully I can learn some things from him. I’m just going to enjoy this ride.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “Delonte West was with the Celtics during Rajon Rondo’s rookie season in 2006-07, but was traded that summer in the Ray Allen draft-day deal. Back this offseason via free agency, he says the difference in the starting point guard – entering his fifth NBA season – is striking. ‘He knows who he is. He knows his game,’ West said. ‘He knows what he has to do each and every night to help his team win.’ West considers Rondo the best point guard in the NBA right now – a notion that gained steam last postseason but took a hit after Rondo withdrew from Team USA at the world championships.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “And he’s got some new teammates with whom to rub shoulders. Perkins made a point to approach newcomers Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal recently. He wanted them to know his hits were nothing personal. ‘I kind of approached them in a happy-go-lucky way just to let them know that when they’re on the other team it’s business, but now they’re on my team and I’m the coolest guy they can be around,’ Perkins said. ‘I’m their supporter.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “When you listen to Jermaine O’Neal talk about the Boston Celtics, his respect for the organization is obvious. But as much as he loves them now . . we’ll just let him tell you how he used to feel. ‘I hated their team for so long,’ O’Neal acknowledged during the C’s media day on Monday. ‘But I always admired their team and what they represented. On that court, it was all about winning and playing together and playing hard.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.