Grande: Celtics Can Make Legitimate 'Why Not Us?' Pitch For Durant
BOSTON (CBS) -- While the focus is on the postseason, and the road to playoff basketball, some Celtics fans have already started to dream about the offseason.
Fueling those dreams is talk about free-agent-to-be Kevin Durant and the potential of him wearing green next season, which many believe has a very good chance of becoming a reality. You can put Celtics play-by-play man Sean Grande in that group.
"It's a very legitimate 'Why Not Us' conversation," Grande told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich on Tuesday. "For years and years and years you've heard free agents don't want to come to Boston. I'm not a fan of what was; I'm a fan of what will be. I think that's an age-old mindset."
Grande broke down other free agent "destinations" throughout the NBA, which paints a very promising picture for Boston's chances.
"Let's take the obvious choices where a big-time free agent would want to go. Want to go to the Lakers right now? That's a dumpster fire in every possible way. Miami? Maybe, they have a good coach there. Houston? No. I don't think they're a popular [choice right now]," he said. "You start checking these destinations one by one. I'm of the belief that there is a Mount Rushmore spot available, and legacy-wise there is one thing left in the NBA for a young player to accomplish to make him a made man for life, and that's winning in New York. But that's not a [great] situation money-wise – they have no cap space.
"You start crossing these off and you say, 'Where's a place I can win? Where's a place with not just salary flexibility for me, but roster flexibility to add a super friend or two? Where's a place I want to win and have success, a place I can go and win in the next year or two?' How does Boston not land on the top of that list?"
Grande said adding Durant, who's averaging 28.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for the Thunder this season, to a Brad Stevens-led team would immediately put them in the conversation for the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Grande also talked about Boston's big win over the Golden State Warriors and what it means for their playoff expectations this season, and the importance of Evan Turner off the Boston bench:
