What position do the Celtics most need for this season?

[wdleehi]

As we approach the deadline, what position do you think the Celtics most need to address and please add you why

[Roy H.]

Our biggest area of concern is a bigman, both in terms of providing rest to Horford and Timelord down the stretch as well as filling a hole on the playoff roster.

If we look at the best teams in the league right now, our biggest competition seems to be Denver and Philly.  Obviously, Milwaukee is in the mix as well.  That means we need to defend Jokic, Embiid and Lopez / Giannis / Portis.  If Timelord or Horford gets in foul trouble or is injured, I just don't trust Kornet or Grant Williams to match up even for 10 minutes per game.

At wing, we have enough competent bodies that we can shift around.  Grant can play down, at SF.  Smart, Brogdon and even White can play up to SF, and certainly can cover SG when Brown is playing for Tatum.  Backup wing is more important for the regular season than it seems to be in the playoffs.

 

[jpotter33]

I say big because of the injury concerns, plus the fact that I think Kornet is too much of a liability to be relied on in the playoffs.

[wdleehi]

I still think Swing is the bigger need.   Just look at the minutes Tatum is playing right now.   

I also think that there will be a big man in the buyout market that can help more then a swing.   

[Who]

Grant Williams is the backup SF/PF. There isn't much need there.

The backcourt is well stocked with the three combo guards and Pritchard as 4th choice. Then the forwards have the two Jays and Grant with Horford getting some time there and with Hauser as 5th choice.

Rob Williams and Horford would be well stocked if Rob's health could be trusted but it cannot so another bench big would be my priority.

[footey]

Grant Williams is the backup SF/PF. There isn't much need there.

The backcourt is well stocked with the three combo guards and Pritchard as 4th choice. Then the forwards have the two Jays and Grant with Horford getting some time there and with Hauser as 5th choice.

Rob Williams and Horford would be well stocked if Rob's health could be trusted but it cannot so another bench big would be my priority.

Agree with this and Roy's post above. That said, I think we are more likely to find through the buy out market than a trade. Read somewhere that Drummond will be bought out, but seems destined to sign with the Lakers.  He would fulfill the back up to Rob and Al role nicely.  Wish he would chase the ring.

[slamtheking]

Grant Williams is the backup SF/PF. There isn't much need there.

The backcourt is well stocked with the three combo guards and Pritchard as 4th choice. Then the forwards have the two Jays and Grant with Horford getting some time there and with Hauser as 5th choice.

Rob Williams and Horford would be well stocked if Rob's health could be trusted but it cannot so another bench big would be my priority.

Agree with this and Roy's post above. That said, I think we are more likely to find through the buy out market than a trade. Read somewhere that Drummond will be bought out, but seems destined to sign with the Lakers.  He would fulfill the back up to Rob and Al role nicely.  Wish he would chase the ring.

if it were about the $, I think the C's are in a position to offer more than the Lakers.  it's the lure of playing (and missing the playoffs) with Lebron that the C's can't offer

[Vermont Green]

I am glad that the poll clarified what is meant by "swing".  I feel the need for a wing/SF/swing (back up to Brown/Tatum) and a big is about equal.  Neither is absolutely needed, either could become a problem with an injury.  But based on options to address the need, I think there are more options to get a big other than via trade (buyouts) whereas if we want to get a viable wing, we are probably going to have to trade for that.  So in that regard, I would have a higher priority on the wing up to the trade deadline.

I have always thought of a swing as someone like Crowder or Marcus Morris.  Someone who can play to some extent, either SF or PF, but isn't really either.  That type of player would be fine also, maybe in some ways better.  If we bring in someone that can play some minutes at PF, that frees up Horford to play more at C, or gives us more options.  But if that player could also provide viable minutes at SF, that is even more options.

I don't see Grant as that.  I don't think he is a viable SF.  Hauser would get those minutes, or even Jackson as was the case in a recent game vs. Miami. In that game, we didn't have Smart, Brown, or Horford.  The result was Hauser played 26 min, Jackson 14 min, Kornet 13 min, and Griffin 4 min (both Grant and RWIII played extra).  If Smart was available, probably Jackson doesn't play, but that is still more of Hauser than you would like to see (filling in for Brown).  They could have played Grant at SF and given more big minutes to Kornet or Griffin but they didn't, they played Hauser and Jackson.

[Phantom255x]

I still think it's a big man, because even behind Tatum and Brown I think we have enough potential scoring with the group of Smart, Brogdon and White. But if we, god forbid, lose 1 of Horford/Timelord for some time then I think we're kind of screwed. Kornet/Griffin are okay for mop-up but definitely not as our 3rd big(s) in the playoffs

[Hoopvortex]

As we approach the deadline, what position do you think the Celtics most need to address and please add you why

I'm very surprised you did not include a wing in the poll - I don't think that's the priority, but a lot of people do.

Oh now looking closer... looks like you're mixing up swings and wings?

[Hoopvortex]

I still think Swing is the bigger need.   Just look at the minutes Tatum is playing right now.   

I also think that there will be a big man in the buyout market that can help more then a swing.

I'm having trouble reconciling these two ideas.

The question I have for the advocates of getting a big in the buyout market - would you expect to get someone more useful than Luke or Blake are already? I would not. Trading for a big is going to mean getting a rotation player. That's what I'm advocating for.

People have proposed Naz Reid, Mason Plumlee, Jakob Poeltl, Kelly Olynyk, and even Jarred Vanderbilt. Of those, Olynyk is the most seamless sub for Al Horford.

[Hoopvortex]

I still think it's a big man, because even behind Tatum and Brown I think we have enough potential scoring with the group of Smart, Brogdon and White. But if we, god forbid, lose 1 of Horford/Timelord for some time then I think we're kind of screwed. Kornet/Griffin are okay for mop-up but definitely not as our 3rd big(s) in the playoffs

This is pretty close to what I think, except that the issue is more than just scoring. Having said that, it seems to me that they ought to raise Brogdon's usage, and reduce minutes for Brown and especially for Tatum.

[Surferdad]

Most opinions are based on one of two notions:
1) Grant Williams is not the swing we need.
2) Blake Griffin has not contributed much.

Is there one player who could conceivably help in both areas? I've got a name in mind.