Is Glen Being Glen Like Manny Being Manny?

Glen Davis will become a Free Agent this summer and it is truly up in the air at this point whether or not he returns to the Boston Celtics next season. The former LSU player has spent his four year career in the Association with the Celtics who drafted him in the second round of the NBA Draft. Monday “Boston.com” and “ESPN.com” reported the big man spoke to reporters as he participated in a home-makeover project for charity. Davis talked to the media of his disappointments of this past season as well as his future as Free Agency soon awaits.

It all came together during the regular season for the man formerly known as “Big Baby” as he posted the best numbers of his NBA career scoring 11.5 points per game while grabbing 5.4  rebounds. Davis was given more time on the floor this season during the regular campaign and he took advantage of the opportunity. The situation would change dramatically when the “Green Team”  made it into the Playoffs as the big man became a non-factor for Boston especially in the Conference Semi-Finals when the Celtics lost to the Miami Heat. With both Shaquille and Jermaine O’Neal battling injury problems and Nenad Krstic long cooled off after his great start with the  team after he was  acquired  in February it was time for Davis to stand up and stand strong.

That was not the case as he pretty much vanished at the that Boston needed him most. He averaged 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in the Playoffs and needless to say he let his club down big time. Davis told reporters on Monday that he was extremely unhappy about his performance in the Playoffs. Davis said “(The lack of success he had in the Playoffs) weighed on me a lot. I pride myself on playing good basketball, especially when you need it. Every postseason I’ve played tremendously good, to the point where it was like, ‘Wow.’ But this summer it didn’t happen because I felt, mentally, I wasn’t ready and prepared enough for what was in front of me. I didn’t prepare for it well mentally, and it affected the way I played. That’s what I’ve been doing this offseason, concentrating on making sure that postseason won’t happen again.”

I truly appreciate that statement by the Celtics big man; we all make mistakes and if we can learn from them and admit we made them that is the first step in rectifying the problem and as Davis says makes sure it does not happen again later in his career.

The conversation then took on a rather bizarre tone as reporters started talking to the forward about Free Agency. Davis was asked about the possibility of playing for a team other than the Celtics next season. He responded “It has crossed my mind. Everybody knows the situation with the Celtics and what they have, and everybody knows my situation. So, people have their opinions of what they think I should have or what they think I shouldn’t be overpaid or not paid at all. But I know how I feel about myself and my game and it doesn’t matter what whoever says, whatever they say. It’s about my play.”

The Celtics player then was asked what hae wanted from what ever team he plays next season. Davis replied “I feel I know what’s most important to me and that’s Glen being Glen. I can’t perform the way I need to perform if I’m not Glen Davis. I need to be in a situation where I’m going to be Glen Davis. If it’s here with the Celtics or with somebody else, I just want to make sure I’m Glen Davis, whatever I do, wherever I’m at. That’s all I’m really concentrating on, being Glen Davis, and being a complete player. I can be Glen Davis wherever. It depends on the system, the people around the system, who is going to let Glen Davis be Glen Davis, not let Glen Davis be something they think he should be.”

So exactly what is Davis saying here? Is Glen being Glen similar to Manny being Manny? That was the excuse that was used to explain the strange behavior of former Boston Red Sox star Manny Ramirez. Actually that excuse was started in Cleveland when  I covered Ramirez as a radio reporter when he played for the Indians. The team and the fans put up with it until his numbers started to drop and then he was traded.

Is Davis asking to bring back the “Big Baby” persona? Does he want to start swearing at the fans in the stands or wrestle with former high school teammates once again? If that is the case then he does not belong in Boston. If it means he wants more minutes right now those chances look pretty good as Kendrick Perkins was traded  during the season, Nenad Krstic is going to play in Moscow while Shaquille O’Neal announced his retirement earlier this month.

I happen to like what Glen Davis brings to the table for Boston but not at the cost of him acting the fool. If all he is looking for is a more described role than he was given last year at Celtics training camp, then I have no problem with that. His play during the regular season earned him that right.