1. Which Celtics star shouldn't have the ball with the game on the line?

The Mavericks handed the Celtics their second loss of the season on Monday, making good use of a typically big night from Dirk Nowitzki. But the Celtics had a chance to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds, only to see Kevin Garnett miss a jumper. Is Garnett the last guy who should have the ball in that situation?

• "not trying to hate on the guy, but rondo pretty much lost those last 2 possessions. either shouldve driven it to the rim instead of the open three and then missing pierce." -- SN commenter 1908cubs

• Rank 'Em: How do you size up this summer's NBA free agents?
• Vote: Would a Miami mega-trio be good? | Which team will sign LeBron?
• More from ESPN.com: Chad Ford breaks down likely destinations.

The long wait will be over at 12:01 a.m. ET Thursday, and we can officially, well, keep waiting at least another week. All right, so the official start of NBA free agency tonight may be a bit of a letdown, considering players can't actually sign contracts until July 8, but the wooing is what matters. Like college recruiting, only more legal and arguably less extravagant, teams will try everything short of general managers breaking out their best "Say Anything" John Cusack impersonations to win over players (and we're not putting Peter Gabriel past John Paxson).

Even now, reality appears to be setting in for some. A Nets fan once hopeful for the ultimate prize is looking at alternatives to LeBron, including a way of tweaking the Knicks that goes beyond just careful placement of billboards.

• "If the Nets miss out on LeBron and Wade and Bosh, I think it is almost definite that the Nets get David Lee. Lee gets to stay in the NY/NJ area, and the Nets finally get the strong PF they havent had since K-Mart left. After that, they would need to target SG, and they have expressed interest in Rudy Gay. He is the best SG for the money. Since Lee and Gay don't get the attention they deserve, they will probably come cheap, and the Nets could continue to be the scavengers of this free agency market." -- Read MdMaChOmAn's full post.

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The "fact" is that nobody knows how any of this is going down. From the average fan to the highest paid journalist; it's all speculation. Anybody saying anything different is fulla ...

” -- _mongo_slade_

“

So if Bosh, Lebron, and Wade go to Miami who else can Miami afford to have on the roster? Can I play PG?

” -- danielmiller19

• Vote: Are the Celtics getting in Dwight Howard's head?
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• More from ESPN.com: TrueHoop on a rough afternoon for Howard

The Celtics swiped home-court advantage from the Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, in part because Vince Carter was the only person in a Magic uniform who could hit a shot. Carter finished with 23 points, one more than fellow 1998 draft alum Paul Pierce, to continue his strong postseason run.

When the Magic traded Courtney Lee and spare parts to the Nets for Vince Carter after last season, essentially replacing Hedo Turkolgu with the fifth pick from the 1998 NBA draft, fans of the Magic weren't exactly unanimous in their support. Here's a sampling of what SportsNation commenters had to say at the time.

• "DON'T DO IT MAGIC!!!!! I agree that I'd rather have Courtney Lee and whatever money the Magic have left over, instead of 'Half-Man, Half-A-Season' Vince Carter. Most people don't remember that VC is from central Florida, which might help a small bit, but he has NEVER been a winner in the NBA and only looks out for one person. I do NOT like this move -- Lee is setting himself up to be one of the best role players in the league for future years, while Carter is riding out his career as a selfish 'me-first-and-me-las t' product of the mid-90s." -- eatsleepredsox
• "BIG BIG BIG MISTAKE. I dont even like reading that this deal is being considered. Lee will be an all star in a few years and he will be someone we can build around with Howard and Jameer still at all star level. Carter is a washed up has been. He doesnt even try out there. He takes most nights off and doesnt compete. Lee has something to prove and he did wonderful for us this year being a rookie. If we make this deal, I wont even know what to think of my team. I love Courtney Lee. and if they trade him thats almost unforgivable. Especially for the likes of a Vince Carter. Keep Lee, trade anyone other than our starting 5. Lee is our cheapest best player." -- MAGIC11033

Yet Carter was the one guy that even Bill Simmons credited with a consistent effort against the Celtics in Game 1, even if it came in a tweet harkening back to Carter's reputation for past no-show performances. That has us wondering, as the Eastern Conference finals roll along, which 1998 draft alum has enjoyed a better career to date?

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The funniest thing about the Carter deal... is STILL having to listen about how Hedo is "better" than he is..... I still LMMFAO every single damn time I hear that GARBAGE!!! Vince seems to be on a mission since his 1st round disaster against the Bobcats, and I honestly believe he WILL lead Orlando to their 1st NBA Championship!!!

” -- pd_gator