Post by FLCeltsFan on Jan 8, 2009 9:30:47 GMT -5
www.projo.com/celtics/content/projo-20090108-mutombo.58f084e.html
Dikembe Mutombo wanted to join the Celtics
07:42 AM EST on Thursday, January 8, 2009
By ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer
BOSTON - Houston center Dikembe Mutombo was high on the Celtics radar when he was an unrestricted free agent during last month's final weeks, but he ultimately decided to sign with the Houston Rockets on Dec. 31.
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He has played for the Rockets for the last four seasons, but was willing to join the Celtics this year.
It just didn't happen.
"My mind was made up to go to Boston," Mutombo said. "I told the press that I was going to make a decision after Christmas. Then on the 24th, the day before Christmas, I received a phone call from [Daryl Morey], the [general manager] for the Rockets, and he told me that they had come to the conclusion that they would love to have me back, and all of the players on their team wanted me back."
Boston wasn't ready to fully commit to Mutombo at the time, even though the Celtics are in need of another big man off the bench.
"We just couldn't pull the trigger as soon as he needed us to pull the trigger," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "We liked him, too, but we just wanted to wait and see what was out there. He wasn't willing to do that and we understood that."
Mutombo felt a bit insulted by being asked to wait by the Celtics to see whether they could sign another player before they were willing to commit to him.
"At the last minute, especially on the 24th or the 25th, I was feeling like I was not the only one in the picture. That kind of discouraged me a little bit," Mutombo said.
"I had about seven organizations that wanted me, but some organizations I thought that wanted me - they were looking at somebody else. So I thought, 'Should I be on the waiting list or should I take what was there offered on the table?.'"
So Mutombo signed with the Rockets instead of waiting to see what was going to happen with the Celtics and the players they were looking at, including recently retired center P.J. Brown.
"I was ready to come to this cold city, but this city was not ready for me," Mutombo joked.
"It was really difficult for me to turn away from the guys that I played with and the guys that I've been friends with for so many years," Mutombo added.
Allen sits again
Boston guard Tony Allen missed his second consecutive game last night with a right ankle injury.
He might not be in the lineup until next week, Rivers said.
"If he's not playing tonight, it would be tough for him to get healthy all of a sudden for [tomorrow]," Rivers said. "Most likely [he'll miss Sunday]. At this point in the year, if he is not 100 percent or close to it, I don't see the urgency of throwing him out there. I would rather him get healthy. Maybe by Monday he'll have fresh legs."
Garnett hurting
Several players are banged up on Boston's roster; including star forward Kevin Garnett, who injured his right calf against the New York Knicks.
"He has soreness all over his body right now," Rivers said.
But the Celtics are not really as bad on the injury front as the Rockets are. Houston defensive stopper Ron Artest was back in the lineup last night after missing the last two games with a sore ankle, but All-Star Tracey McGrady did not play, and neither did forward Shane Battier (foot), who missed his fifth straight game.
"We can't complain about sore bodies or injuries compared to what they've gone through," Rivers said. "They've gone through more than anything I've seen in memory. We have bruises, but they have injuries."
Moving on up
Garnett moved into 25th place on the NBA all-time scoring list last night.
He entered the game tied with Walt Bellamy for 26th place with 20,941 career points.
Garnett entered the game ranked 22nd all-time in blocks (1,715), 23rd in rebounds (11,508), and 38th in steals (1,425).
Garnett and former Rocket Hakeem Olajuwon are the only two players currently listed in the Top 40 all-time in points, rebounds, steals and blocks.
His time will come
Rivers says center Patrick O'Bryant is getting closer to playing more minutes.
"He's working at it and that's all he can do," Rivers said. "Right now [Glen Davis] and Leon [Powe] are in front of him, and those are two pretty good players, so he has to just keep working."
