Kontrakt med Boston Finleys födelsedagspresent
I morgon fyller Michael Finley inte mindre än 37 år. Det har han gratulerats med genom att ha erbjudits ett kontrakt av Boston Celtics.
För ett par dagar sedan sattes veteranen Michael Finley upp på waivers av San Antonio Spurs, en klubb som Finley lämnar efter fem år. Ny adress blir Boston och Celtics för guarden/forwarden som fyller 37 i morgon.
- It didn’t take long. There were several contending teams, but Boston was the most interested. They had a situation where Michael feels he can really earn a role. They told me they liked his ability to shoot and defend - the same role as he’s had in San Antonio for all these years, säger Henry Thomas, talesman för Michael Finley.
Det här var däremot inte första gången Celtics var ute efter spelarens namnteckning.
- A couple of years ago, before Michael re-signed with San Antonio, there was mutual interest between Michael and Boston. So what’s going on there has always interested Michael, avslöjar Thomas.
På grund av en tidig vristskada den här säsongen har det inte blivit fler än 25 matcher för Finley, något han nu vill ändra på i och med sitt klubbyte. Förra säsongen spelade Finley 81 matcher för San Antonio med snitt på 9.7 poäng och 3.3 returer per match.
- He's got high character. He's another shooter. We don't know where we're going to fit him in, but adding a veteran can never hurt. Adding a guy who can make open shots can never hurt. Adding a guy who's been through the wars can never hurt. That's how we looked at it, säger Bostons tränare Doc Rivers, och även den blivna lagkamraten Paul Pierce gillar klubbens tillskott.
- He's a veteran who can spread the floor and shoot pretty well. He brings a lot of experience. He's a veteran who has been around the block a few times. I'm sure he'll find his way, and he's played in a lot of big games during his career. He knows how to approach them and play in them. Experience can always help in tight situations.
Källor: nba.com, bostonherald.com
