Eddie House and Jackie Manuel?

Come on, Danny Ainge. When I went on record saying that Boston was 2-3 pieces from being the favorite in the East, I didn't mean any pieces. In fact, the list of appropriate options was included in the post and nowhere on it did the names House and Manuel appear.

Honestly, the way Boston is rounding out its roster is depressing. I know it is stupid to trust this front office with a master plan, but from the minute they mortgaged the future to acquire Ray Allen, I've assumed that there was a big picture plan of attack to use young assets and Ratliff's contract to bring in another star. And that once that star was in place, that they would go on a luxury-tax-be-damned mission to get veterans on the cheap, like the Lakers did with GP and Malone a few years ago.

Well, up until yesterday, it was all going according to plan. But then suddenly, mysteriously, Boston pulled up short before Step Three in the process. Hours after trading for the most expensive player in the NBA (and re-singing him), they decided they didn't want to get into luxury tax territory. What? I'm sorry, but that isn't an option at this point. They need to cobble contracts together and make another move for a vet. They need to spend every last cent of their exception to fill out the bench. They can't pull the reigns back now. It's insanity.

Eddie House is not the answer as a backup point guard, especially on a team with Ray Allen. Jackie Manuel couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat, and even if he turns out to be a Quentin Ross type player (best case scenario), he can't log minutes at the 4, which means he is pretty much worthless (since Ray-Ray, Pierce, and Tony Allen will play all the minutes at the 2-3 spots).

The Celtics just used up some cash and some roster spots on guys who can't help them. That's the bottom line. And perhaps this can be salvaged on some level by a creative trade or a P.J. Brown signing for the minimum or even getting Matt Barnes on the cheap now that he's desperately playing agent roulette ... but we are starting to reach Hail Mary territory. Already.

I guess I should have known better than to trust Danny Ainge. Guys like Brevin Knight, James Singleton, and Ruben Patterson could have helped this team and been had for a song. Instead, he signed freaking Eddie House and Jackie Manuel. Wow.

And I'm not even a Boston fan. I can only imagine how frustrating this is them.