Cs showing interest in Grant Hill, but is he headed to NY?

July 9, 12:25 PMBoston Celtics ExaminerMark Rawden

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AP Photo/David Zalubowski: DLee and Nate may have a new teammate soon.

My fave five non-Celtics from the last twenty years would have to be, in no particular order: Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, Grant Hill, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant. The Cs traded for KG before the 2007-2008 season, and now they are reportedly interested in signing Grant Hill. You would think that I’d be excited by this rumor. And I am, but I’m also pretty skeptical.

The Celtics are in desperate need of a backup small forward, since Bill Walker hasn’t proven himself just yet, and Tony Allen is too inconsistent (and too small) to take on that role on a daily basis. Thus the Celtics’ interest in Hill. But, I have to wonder if there are better options available, and not just at small forward, but in the market overall.

If the Celtics sign Grant, they are getting a player who is a yin and yang all in one. He is old, but has also missed a lot of games throughout his career due to injury, thus making him relatively fresh for a player his age. Speaking of those injuries though, he has had a ton of them, with numerous surgeries to patch him up, leading to the typical “injury-prone” label-yet he’s been pretty healthy over the last couple of years.

So should the Cs be barking up this tree? And what about his recent meeting with Doc in Orlando? I understand that they both live in Orlando, so it’s all about the level of convenience, but what does it say that the Celtics send six guys to meet with Sheed, and one to meet with Grant? Does that hurt Hill’s ego? Does the Celtics’ move with Sheed raise the bar? Will the Knicks have to send their entire team, plus Mayor Bloomberg and Derek Jeter when they pitch to LeBron next year?

Grant has been pretty consistent over the last few years, although it should be noted that his numbers have been on a slightly downward trending curve. You can blame it on the Suns’ ill-advised coaching and roster moves if you want, or his age, or both. Frankly, I choose both. He has averaged about 13/5 over 30 mpg, and he played in every game last year, which is impressive considering that he’s turning 37 this year and has had so many surgeries that his body probably needs to be oiled up tin man-style when he wakes up in the morning.

I’ve always liked Hill’s game. He’s an all-around player, and a great guy off the floor. He’ll be the calm, composed presence that the Celtics need, considering the personalities on the current roster (KG, Sheed, even Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo). Ray Allen currently is deemed to be the Celtics’ Zen master, but he can always use a partner. Hill can play the two (if they want to play big), three or four (I wouldn’t advise this, but if they want to play small), and can provide a bit of an offensive lift off the bench. And I say all this about Grant even though he played for Duke.

So, what should the Celtics do? Like I said earlier, it would be a personal thrill to see him in Celtic green, but it’s too late. The Knicks just provided him with two contract options. Why, I don’t know, considering that they need some younger, more athletic players for D’Antoni’s up-tempo, 3-point shooting style. Hill will have the option of signing a one-year, $5 mill deal, or a three-year, $10 mill deal. The Knicks’ significant amount of interest in Hill simply means that the Celtics already have immediate competition for his services, and can expect more from other teams. The Celtics plan to sign Hill to their biannual exception, so we’ll soon see if that’s enough to bring him in, as the Celtics don’t have much more to offer.

This team is getting older and older. By signing these guys (Sheed and Hill), they are effectively closing the door on Big Baby. I understand that these moves can help the Celtics win now, but Hill can be a defensive liability, and who is more likely to play in all 82 games this season, Baby or Hill? I think that Hill can help the Cs win now, and we all know that Boston’s championship window is rapidly closing. But Hill’s signing will only delay the development of Boston’s younger guys, and really put them in a win now type of mindset, thus forcing them to have to look for a veteran pg as well, since if you aren’t going to trust Tony Allen or Bill Walker at backup small forward, why would you trust Gabe Pruitt or Lester Hudson as your backup point guard (since we all know that Eddie House is a two, and the Cs need a ball-handler like Sam Cassell or Stephon Marbury)?

So while it’ll be fun to see Grant on the home side in the Garden, I have to pass. And to add that Knicks note I mentioned earlier, apparently Danny is going to have to up the ante in order to bring him in, which further increases my desire to see the Celtics look elsewhere. If Hill is valuing money and his personal needs over the team (family is one thing, focusing on post-playing opportunities is another), I don’t want him anyway.