Done experimenting

I blinked my eyes and - poof - the Darius Miles experiment was over.

The Celtics waived the lanky forward this week, after a mini-audition throughout the pre-season that featured short bursts of minutes. He may have never amounted to anything legitimate, but now we'll never know. Everyone said the Celtics were "taking a gamble" by signing Miles in the off-season, but what kind of gamble is it if you never let the guy have a chance.

Here's the thing: The Celtics are well-positioned to win, with or without Miles. He was never going to be a critical factor in the success of the team this season. That being said, I'd have loved to see him over the course of 82 games.

Obviously, Miles is still hobbled by knee problems that have plagued his entire career. He was a step or two slower and far less explosive in the games I saw him play in. But it's not pain that's slowing him down so much as rust. And you only shake off rust over time.

I think it would have been a worthwhile experiment to see how much better Miles got over the course of the season. He wouldn't need significant game minutes, necessarily, just the chance to play against the caliber players the Celtics have in practice every day. Then, if Bill Walker turns an ankle in January or Tony Allen needs to sit a few games in February, you have a dynamic player available in his place.

I guess it just boils down to this: What was the risk with keeping him around? He is presumably only going to get better and healthier, and if he plays more than 10 games this year the Trailblazers have to pick up his salary, anyway. If there's no risk, financially or otherwise, why not see if a 26-year old who was projected as a stud can regain some of the swagger that earned him all that attention? I don't get it.

The Celtics said, after sending Miles packing, that he was "a model citizen" in Boston and had "plenty of basketball left in him." I agree, and I'm sorry that it's going to have to come in a different uniform.