The Clippers finally waived Sam Cassell yesterday, and the 38-year old point guard is expected to be scooped off the waiver wire (for the veteran’s minimum) on Monday by the Boston Celtics.
He’ll come off the bench to spell Rajon Rondo for now, but come Playoff time, the Celtics will likely entrust him with the ball in crucial, pressure-packed situations. Rondo, to his credit, doesn’t see the addition of the veteran point guard as a threat.
Even Rondo appeared to welcome the possibility of a Cassell addition following Wednesday’s win over Cleveland when he said, “He could help me. He’s been in the game a long time and he knows a lot. Any veteran point guard would be a great addition, but that’s not my decision.”
Assuming Sam stays healthy, this has to be considered a win-win situation for the C’s. As well as Rondo has played this season – and for a 22-year old kid, he’s played exemplary ball – no Celtics supporter would feel completely safe with him at the wheel in the postseason.
Cassell will provide the needed veteran leadership, and even more importantly, he’ll (giddily, no doubt) relish the opportunity to match crunch time shots with someone like Chauncey Billups in a Playoff series.
