Celtics Insider

Celtic players react to trade

DENVER -- The Celtic mainstays were very upset with the trade of Kendrick Perkins yesterday, according to several sources, and almost all of them chose to avoid the subject before the loss to the Nuggets.

By the end of the night, they had composed themselves. But they were still sad to see Perkins go in the trade to Oklahoma City with Nate Robinson for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

"It's not even about a teammate," said Kevin Garnett. "You feel like you lost a family member today. Tough day."

Added Paul Pierce, "It was very emotional, especially for me being that I had a chance to see Perkins grow up from Day 1 fresh out of high school seeing him get to the level he got to on a championship team.

"I had a chance to talk to him at length this afternoon, but he was definitely hurt. The guys around this locker room are definitely hurt to see Perk go."

Ray Allen also had a chance to talk with Perkins.

"I just said, 'Sorry,'" Allen said. "There's no words that can really describe the emotions that you feel. Perk is a tough guy, (but) he was very emotional. Like he couldn't get the words out that he needed to get out.

"In my mind, he'll always be a Celtic. He's been here for eight years. I felt truly bad. That's probably one of the toughest pills I've had to swallow of any player I've seen traded, because he was a part of what he was doing here. So we have to change that around and incorporate these new guys we got."

As for whether the trade will help the Celts, there was uncertainty.

"We don't know," said Garnett. "That's going to be the big question. Time is going to tell all that."

Asked the same question, Pierce said, "I don't know. You hope that Danny (Ainge) and Doc (Rivers) know what they're doing. I mean, we put our trust in them, so it is what it is. We can't use any excuses and cry over spilled milk.

"Hopefully the guys we have coming in understand what we're trying to do around here. It's still a championship goal. But it is definitely a blow when you lose a guy like Perk who's been in playoff battles, been tested, gives us size and defense -- especially when you’re going against guys like Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol -- if we make it to the Finals and play the Lakers. Hopefully we can make up for it in other ways.

"I haven't had a chance to assess (the trade)," Pierce added. "I hate to lose a guy, a teammate like Perk because he meant so much. And people don't understand what chemistry is, from the bus to the plane, the locker room. It's definitely blow there. it depends on how the other guys make the adjustment.

"People underrate what chemistry brings. This is one of the tightest units, one of the most together teams that you could probably think of. It's just how we roll on the plane and in the hotels, the camaraderie that we've been able to gather over the years. When you lose that, it's tough. Hopefully we can integrate the guys that we have coming here and they can pick up things pretty quickly."

Said Allen, "Jeff Green is young. He can play. He can help our bench production out. He's got tremendous upside. And Krstic gives us length. I look forward to having both of them."


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