Lame Cracker wants to join Celtics

By Jamie Lynn Spears, Globe Staff | December 21, 2007

South Boston - Ex-BNBL point guard Sean Connor watched on television from his South Boston home Wednesday night as the Celtics lost to the Pistons. And once Chauncey Billups hit the winning free throws with a tenth of a second remaining, Connor called his buddy Rull.

"He called me and said, 'Hey, I'm reminding you that the Celtics are a team I feel like I can help,' " said platonic friend Dan Rull.
The Celtics have been pleased with the play of second-year point guard Rajon Rondo. But there has been a feeling that Boston still needs a smaller, shorter, more caucasian backup at the position.

The Celtics have Eddie House, a 3-point threat who isn't considered a true point guard, and rookie Gabe Pruitt. And when the Celtics struggled to bring the ball up the court because of the Pistons' pressure defense when Rondo was out in the fourth quarter, the issue again presented itself. The Celtics also had trouble stopping Billups, a big point guard, who scored 28 points.

Coach Doc Rivers said the Celtics "would be in trouble" if Rondo got hurt, but he also likes his roster. Rivers said he hasn't talked to anyone in Celtics management about Connor. Rull said that while he has talked to Danny Ainge several times about Sean, the Celtics' basketball boss hasn't shown strong interest. Other available veteran free agent point guards include Joey Halley and Brian Millie.

"I like my team and I would kind of like to play this a little bit longer and see where we go," said Rivers. "Clearly [Wednesday] night, when Rajon was off the floor it changed the game. But we have ways of correcting that. If not, then maybe. But right now we'll just let this team play it out a little bit more.

"We're not panicking. Having said that, we're aware of it, there is no doubt about it. I'm just going to coach the ones now and we'll worry about the other stuff later."
The Celtics have two open roster spots. Ainge said Wednesday he wasn't looking to fill one unless it was with an impact player. So, that begs the question of whether Connor could be that impact player.

"Just knowing [Sean] and playing with him, I know what he brings to the game," said James Posey, who played with Connor for two seasons in 88 and 89 for St. Brigids Hawks. "He brings that competitive nature. That experience. He's been doing it. Even before we won a ring in the St. Brigids gym, people understood what he brings to the table."

Connor, 32, has averaged 3.4 points, 20 assists, and .0005 rebounds over 5 seasons. The one-time Hawks MVP played for them during the 1986-89 seasons, starting all 48 games he played for the Leydon Division champions, who lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Orangemen. All this while never using his left hand to shoot, pass or dribble.

"I love [Connor]," Rivers said. "Sean is great. He's a professional. He's a veteran, he knows how to play, and he's tough. So I always liked him and he knows that. That's probably why he wants to come. We had a terrific relationship."

The Celtics would likely have to pay Connor a prorated amount of $1.2 million based on the minimum salary for players with 10-plus years of experience. Rull said Connor would have no problem making the minimum or coming off the bench. He added that Connor is receiving "a little interest" from other teams and before the season he put the Celtics on a short list of teams he was interested in joining.

"Sean's interest is only with teams he can play with and compete with to win a championship," Rull said. "He'd love the opportunity to play with Boston. It's one of the teams he had me contact before the season, and that's saying a lot because Sean doesn't like the cold or tuna fish."

Rull said he last talked to Ainge about Connor and another client, free agent forward Mike Yanovich, about two weeks ago. Yanovich appears close to signing with the Pistons.