The Celtics really had their best lineup here, huh?

Celtics free agent Troy Murphy has received a contract offer from Red Star Belgrade, which plays in Serbia’s Sinalco Superleague.

“According to Novosti.rs,” tweeted Sportando, “Red Star offered to Troy Murphy 250.000 per season but his agent said Murphy won’t move for less than 500.000 USD.”

Murphy and the Celtics were a match made in basketball heaven — the white, Irish kid with the white, Irish name playing for the Celtics — except they weren’t. Murphy’s time with the Celtics was marked more by DNP-CDs and low shooting percentages than anything helpful. On the bright side, Murphy finally made the playoffs for the first time in his NBA career. He played only three minutes of one game and didn’t score a single point, but still. Reaching the playoffs must have been a goal.

Nobody really knows whether Murphy’s poor play was a factor of bad conditioning and nagging injuries, or whether he’s washed up beyond the point of return. In Serbia, he will likely be able to get away with legs that can’t run as fast as they used to, can’t jump as high as they once did. In the NBA, not so much.

Murphy’s still an intriguing option for the Celtics whenever the NBA season returns: he’s only 31 years old, and as recently as 2009-10 averaged a double-double. The Celtics will certainly be starving for height and rebounding whenever the lockout ends. If Murphy can work his way back into game shape, he could become a valuable contributor in Boston.

Then again, when 10-year veterans lose a step, they often never find it.

When Troy Murphy dunked, I rubbed my eyes, shook my head, pinched myself, wondered where the hell his sudden explosiveness came from, and debated whether the refs should check Murphy’s shoes for Flubber. Murphy was once a double-double machine, if not a star than at least a well-known commodity and a proven threat. But he had fallen so far that after the few times he dunked in a Celtics uniform, I couldn’t believe my own eyes.

In one season, Murphy went from one of twelve NBA players to average a double-double to the twelfth man for the New Jersey Nets. When the Nets traded Murphy to the Warriors in February, Golden St. decided not to keep him even though they have been thirsting for quality size since the Vietnam War. Murphy immediately became a wanted free agent, a byproduct of being waived that had nothing to do with his recent production. He was a big name available during midseason, at a time when the only big names available are normally on the plus side of 35 years old. Murphy was only 30. But he played like he was 40.

Murphy fell from grace even quicker than Adam Sandler. It took five years for Sandler to travel from Billy Madison to Little Nicky. Murphy never had the same peak as Sandler, of course, but he dropped in a similar fashion—like a sawed tree. The 6’10 Irishman’s legs could best be described as wobbly. They were uncooked spaghetti, tools that used to balance him for jump shots and chase him after loose rebounds but last season held him back from competing with the NBA’s finest athletes. Once, Murphy could bang with the league’s strongest seven-footers and spread the floor like a guard. But this past season, his shot went awry and his rebounding nose, though it could still scent a carom from a mile away, could not make up for his dwindling athleticism. He was Sandler’s character in Click, growing fatter and losing control of himself while everything around him sped by on fast-forward.

When the Celtics signed Murphy after the trade deadline had passed, they could not have expected him to make a big impact. Perhaps in the back of their minds the Celtics brass thought, “Maybe if he gets healthy, and maybe if he works himself back into shape.” But the chances of that were slim, at least in midseason; rarely does a player who played his way out of the New Jersey Nets rotation find himself helping a championship contender. Most likely, the Celtics signed Murphy for two reasons: 1) just in case he made a drastic midseason turnaround, and 2) to keep him away from the Miami Heat. The Heat, whose frontcourt consisted of Chris Bosh, Joel Anthony, and a cardboard cutout of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, could have used Murphy, even in his highly diminished state. If the Celtics did not sign him, the Heat were his next option, and the Celtics did not want Murphy’s potential revival to come while he donned black and red.

That revival never came, at least not last year. Murphy did accomplish one career milestone, even if it didn’t come the way he expected. When he appeared against the New York Knicks in round one of the playoffs, Murphy finally tasted the postseason. Even then, his first trip out of the lottery was bittersweet—Murphy played only in garbage time. If all of Boston’s games had been close, he would have played just as many minutes as the chairs he sat on. As it was, he appeared in only one playoff game. He played three minutes, secured one rebound and did not take a single shot. From double-double machine to well-paid cheerleader, Troy Murphy had plunged a long way.

But there’s hope, which is why I keep watching Sandler’s new movies and which is why Murphy will continue to receive offers from NBA teams. Just a short time ago, Murphy could play. He was never an All-Star, but he was the type of player who helped teams, a blue-collar rebounder with a feathery touch from outside. If he can work himself back into shape, if he can regain full health, if he can regain the confidence that last season must have punished—if, if, if—Murphy could become this free agency period’s greatest bargain. Then again, I’ve been waiting on Sandler’s next great movie for 15 years. And they just seem to get worse and worse.

Troy Murphy, bless his soul, has not made a single shot during his four games as a Boston Celtic. For those counting, his streak has now reached ten consecutive misses, and he has not made an in-game shot since January 7th.

On that date, the Celtics played the Toronto Raptors — Luke Harangody led the Celtics in rebounds and chipped in 17 points for his only professional double-double; Nate Robinson added 15 points; Marquis Daniels scored six points; Semih Erden recorded six minutes of playing time; and Shaq and Jermaine O’Neal both played. Only seven Celtics who played in that game remain with the team. In other NBA action on January 7th, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Golden St. Warriors. It was the ninth loss of their record 26-game skid.

Since Murphy last hit a shot, Paul Pierce has scored 619 points, Rajon Rondo has compiled 288 assists, Kevin Garnett has grabbed 206 rebounds, the nation’s average price of gas raised from $3.083 per gallon to $3.52 per gallon, and I lost 25 pounds, then put 10 back on.

Let’s just say it’s been awhile.

Before Wednesday night, Murphy had at least played in every half since he signed with Boston. But Doc Rivers opted not to sub Murphy into the game during the second half. (WEEI)

“He’s just not ready yet,” Rivers said. “It’s just going to take him some time. I’m not that concerned with it, but he isn’t. A couple of times in the first half you could just see him [not] knowing the schemes, he was in the wrong place. They took advantage of that. When we were making a run in the second half you didn’t want to take the risk of putting him back on the floor.”

I don’t know much in this world, but I do know that when a coach says, “You didn’t want to take the risk of putting him back on the floor,” that’s not good.

Murphy told Paul Flannery he’s “feeling better every day,” but, well, the early signs aren’t good. Optimists will point out that Murphy more or less took a month off of professional basketball, so the rust is natural. Pessimists will point out that Sasha Pavlovic did the same thing, yet looks infinitely more comfortable already — plus, wasn’t Murphy’s run of DNP-CDs mostly because he played himself out of the rotation?

You know what would really be a kick in the balls? If Murphy, who has not made the playoffs once in any of his nine years in the league, finally makes the postseason in Boston… only to have Doc Rivers leave him off the playoff roster.

There’s still plenty of time for Murphy to find his legs, show he can contribute and — hey, who knows? — maybe even make a shot. But he hasn’t shown his past double-double form, or anything close to it, during his brief run in Boston.

“Some guys will fit in, some guys will not,” Rivers said. “All the guys we don’t need to fit, honestly. When we go to the playoffs were going to go to nine guys anyway, for the most part. I have 20 games to figure out which ones have the value.”

In that time, Troy’s got a lot of proving to do.

P.J. Brown, during his half-season as a Boston Celtic, scored more than four points in a regular season game exactly zero times.

I can remember Brown running (if you can call it that) up- and down-court during his first game as a Celtic and thinking, “Well, that dude’s washed up.” Brown could barely move, and the lack of mobility made sense — he’d been retired for more than half a season, meaning he’d probably been sitting on his couch, watching TV, eating potato chips and utilizing the Rasheed Wallace workout plan. I’m telling you: when he first joined the Celtics, Brown ran like he had two flat tires. Couldn’t run, couldn’t jump, couldn’t slide his feet. Sadly enough, he looked like me, circa now.

I just checked Brown’s game log today, and (somehow, by the grace of God) Brown recorded six rebounds (in six minutes) of his first game. But I can remember it well — Brown running like he had either A) a sprained ankle, B) a broken leg, or C) a giant stick up his tuchus. I can also remember thinking Brown would not help the Celtics at all, once they made the playoffs. Clearly, I own no crystal ball.

I mention Brown because of Troy Murphy, who, so far, looks miserable (to say the least). Through 26 minutes as a Celtic, Murphy has scored a single point. He has shot the ball seven times, and missed every single attempt. He jumps like there’s an anchor tied to his legs, and (by my count) has already had his shot blocked 2,397 times. He has never been known for his defense, so Murphy’s offensive contributions will most likely become his most positive impact on the Celtics. Yet, through two games, Murphy has made no offensive contributions. Actually, that’s not fair to say. He did make one free throw, once upon a time, and even made two passes that resulted in baskets for his teammates (or, in other words, two assists).

As Doc Rivers reminds us, remain patient. The Troy Murphy era will see better days. (Greg Payne, ESPN Boston)

“He’s going to miss shots, he’s going to be streaky,” Rivers said following his team’s practice at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint on Saturday. “When you haven’t played an NBA game in a while, it’s just tough to get that speed down. But it’ll come. As long as it’s there by the playoffs, I’m happy.”

Murphy agrees. He will get better with time, he feels, as his legs become acclimated to the game’s pace. He has shot 39% from downtown for his career, remember. Though he has looked older at times this season, Murphy remains only 30 years old. Last year, he averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 38.4% from the arc. Just last year.

“It’s going to come,” Murphy said. “I know I can shoot. It’s just getting my legs there and getting used to running up and down the court again and playing in games.

“I think it just takes being in practice, knocking down shots, taking shots. Being in the game, same thing. I’ve taken thousands of shots over the past couple months by myself in the gym, but you can’t really replicate until you get in the game-type situations.”

Of course, assuming Murphy’s shot will return also assumes that the beginning of this season was an aberration.  Murphy shot very poorly in New Jersey, where Avery Johnson quickly placed Murphy in the doghouse. One could rationalize Murphy’s later run of DNP-CDs by saying he simply did not fit into New Jersey’s youth movement, but that would be oversimplifying matters. Murphy was actually New Jersey’s opening-night starter before playing himself out of the rotation. That he is not in game shape, in some ways (all ways?), is nobody’s fault but Murphy’s own.

That said, the Celtics don’t need constant double-doubles from Troy Murphy. They don’t need 30 minutes a game, or 20-point outings, or for Murphy to start. As Murphy potentially sits behind Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis, Nenad Krstic and (assuming health) the O’Neal brothers in Boston’s rotation, there’s a chance Murphy won’t even make the playoff roster. (Seriously, there is. Only twelve players make the playoff roster. That likely leaves Carlos Arroyo and Sasha Pavlovic out of luck — and who else? Maybe Murphy.)

If Murphy does find his way onto the playoff roster, and earns a role (however limited), the Celtics don’t expect greatness. They just need Murphy’s legs to round into shape during the next 22 games, so he can hit a few important shots come playoff time. The Celtics realize Murphy is not P.J. Brown — he has not mastered the art of the hard foul, nor has he made a reputation as a defense-first player. But he could play a similar role, as the veteran who plays only a few minutes, rarely makes mistakes, and drills timely shots.

P.J. Brown looked bad during the ’07-’08 regular season, and he only averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds during the playoffs that year. Along the way, he became a hero. And, perhaps, Troy Murphy’s role model.

Troy Murphy has chosen to complete his season with the Boston Celtics, according to Marc Stein. Murphy, a 6’10″ lefty who was once a double-double machine, picked Boston ahead of the Miami Heat. Apparently, Danny Ainge’s creative phone call worked.

Where does Murphy fit in with the Celtics? For now, he’ll probably play Chris Johnson’s minutes, which bodes poorly for the athletic stick figure who’s playing on a ten-day contract. Behind Nenad Krstic, Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett — and, whenever he returns to health, Shaq — Murphy figures to have a minor role (at best) in Boston’s playoff rotation. He adds depth, sure, but he likely will not be counted on if the Celtics remain healthy.

Theoretically, Murphy will provide a stretch-the-floor power forward who can rebound at an impressive rate. Of course, outside-shooting power forwards who don’t keep their bodies in good shape (I’m looking at you, Sheed) also don’t tend to maintain their jump shots very well. If the Celtics can get the 2009-2010 Murphy, who shot almost 40% from three-point range while also vacuuming rebounds, and use him as a fifth big — well, that’s depth, folks. But there’s some evidence to suggest the Celtics did not just sign double-double threat Troy Murphy, but a far lesser player.

All things considered, the Celtics just added a reasonably young (30 years old) power forward with size, rebounding acumen and shooting ability, for almost nothing. On the scale of risk-reward, the reward could be anywhere from almost nothing to pretty substantial. As for the risk? Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see any at all.

Troy Murphy reportedly spent last night listening to phone pitches from Danny Ainge and Pat Riley, who were both hoping to convince Murphy to join their teams. The Heat are reportedly the frontrunner for Murphy’s services, which — thankfully — still probably wouldn’t change the Eastern Conference landscape.(Yahoo!)

Miami president Pat Riley and Boston general manager Danny Ainge planned to make recruiting pitches to Troy Murphy on Monday night, and the free agent will soon choose between the Eastern Conference rivals, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.

“He’s still torn,” a source close to the process said Monday night.

Riley and Ainge both planned to call Murphy. Murphy could make a decision as soon as Tuesday, but hasn’t ruled out taking until mid-week to make his decision.

Here’s a transcript (which may or may not be real) of Ainge’s call with Murphy:

Ainge: Troy, there are a lot of good reasons to come to Boston.

Murphy: I’m Popeye Jones.

Ainge: Excuse me?…

Murphy: That means I’m all ears.

Ainge: Ahh. Well, you definitely wouldn’t start. Actually, with Shaq soon joining Nenad Krstic, Glen Davis, and Kevin Garnett in the frontcourt, you probably wouldn’t play very many minutes at all. Maybe none whatsoever. And you wouldn’t be getting beautiful weather like Miami. Not to mention we can’t pay you any more than the minimum. But, hey! Irish boy in Boston? We were made for each other, Troy!

Murphy: Umm, that doesn’t sound perfect, actually. I’ve spent all season racking up DNP-CDs. It would kind of be nice to play a few minutes.

Ainge: Yeah, but let’s face it Troy. What contender would you play minutes for? Los Angeles? Good joke. Miami? Maybe, but doubtful. Orlando’s the only decent team you could crack the rotation for, and — let’s face it, Troy — calling Orlando a contender is like calling Tim Duncan an MVP candidate: in year’s past, yes, but definitely not now. Troy, I don’t want to say you’re washed up, but, umm, Kris Humphris and Johan Petro took your minutes in New Jersey. Then Golden St. made it two miserable teams who didn’t want you this season. You averaged a double-double last season, Troy, but nothing about this season leads us to believe you have anything left in the tank. You’re a power forward not known for defense who is shooting 34.2% from the field, Troy. Not to mention 17.4% from downtown. I don’t know how what cliff you fell off after last year, but the fall you took was devastating. But, hey, we ain’t mad atcha! We value your skills! We want you in Boston!

Murphy: Hmm. An interesting pitch. But honest, at least.

Ainge: Look, Troy. We’re going to the playoffs, and you’ve never been to the playoffs. Like, ever. As in, you’ve spent nine full years playing in a league where more than half the teams make the playoffs each season, but you’ve never qualified. Not once. (Ainge starts laughing, hysterically.) The Heat will make the playoffs, too, of course, so I guess that’s not really a good argument to come to Boston. But, man, you’ve really played on some shitty teams.

Murphy: Umm, yeah. Can’t disagree with that, even if you’re not being extremely sensitive.

Ainge: I guess my real point is this: You can either back up Chris Bosh this year (who’s soft and cuddly), or you can back up Kevin Garnett (who’s coarse and harsh and will do whatever it takes to win). You can either sit on the bench and watch Lebron James and Dwyane Wade run isos, or you can sit on the bench and watch an offense that swings the ball and cares not who scores. You can share a locker room with teammates who have been through the fire, legitimately love each other, and focus on winning above all else, or you can share a locker room with Joel Anthony.

The choice is yours, Troy. Obviously, we really want you.