Celtics Summer Game Plan

[cdif911]

I can't even imagine thinking about this right now...

[hardlyyardley]

Scheyer with the second pick.....Mike Miller at MLE would be a good move.....Larry Sanders with #19

[hubert.the.potato]

1-Resign Ray for 2 years 15 million,and Nate to 2 years 5 million
2-Trade them for NYK's first pick which is with Utah and Korver.The pick will probably be top a 10 pick.
3-Draft James Anderson.Brilliant 3 point shooter,makes up for Ray

4-Trade Sheldon Williams,our 2nd round pick and TA for Vasquez and Varnado and a 2nd round pick.Vasquez is a great combo guard and Varnado is a defensive beast.(Vasquez won the Cousy Award of the Year)
 

[Chris]

1-Resign Ray for 2 years 15 million,and Nate to 2 years 5 million
2-Trade them for NYK's first pick which is with Utah and Korver.The pick will probably be top a 10 pick.
3-Draft James Anderson.Brilliant 3 point shooter,makes up for Ray

4-Trade Sheldon Williams,our 2nd round pick and TA for Vasquez and Varnado and a 2nd round pick.Vasquez is a great combo guard and Varnado is a defensive beast.(Vasquez won the Cousy Award of the Year)
 

Well, I doubt Ray signs for that little.  I think Ginobili and Camby set the market for aging veterans who are still productive, when they both got over $10 million per year, and I expect Ray to be in the same ballpark. 

I also do not see Utah giving up the Knicks pick for Ray and Nate (who I could never see playing for the Jazz).  I think the conversation would have to start with Ray/Perk, and I am not even sure if that gets it done.

[RJ87]

1-Resign Ray for 2 years 15 million,and Nate to 2 years 5 million
2-Trade them for NYK's first pick which is with Utah and Korver.The pick will probably be top a 10 pick.
3-Draft James Anderson.Brilliant 3 point shooter,makes up for Ray

4-Trade Sheldon Williams,our 2nd round pick and TA for Vasquez and Varnado and a 2nd round pick.Vasquez is a great combo guard and Varnado is a defensive beast.(Vasquez won the Cousy Award of the Year)
 

Well, I doubt Ray signs for that little.  I think Ginobili and Camby set the market for aging veterans who are still productive, when they both got over $10 million per year, and I expect Ray to be in the same ballpark. 

I also do not see Utah giving up the Knicks pick for Ray and Nate (who I could never see playing for the Jazz).  I think the conversation would have to start with Ray/Perk, and I am not even sure if that gets it done.

Agree about Camby/Gino setting the standard on aging/productive veterans.

We should use the MLE on Outlaw. Full court press him like we did Sheed. He would be a good fit on this team.

Anthony Morrow would also be a good addition, but he's restricted so maybe try to get GSW to agree to some sort of sign & trade. Another possible trade target we should revisit is Andre Iguodala. Not sure what it would take to get him or if we even have the pieces, but I hope there is an interest in bringing him here.

I think no matter what happens, Perk will be shopped. Will it be to gage his value heading into a contract year or to actually trade him? Idk. But fans should prepare themselves for the rumors now. Personally, I like Perk but I'm not sure if he's the best fit longterm with Rondo. IF you can get something good for him, do it. Just IMO.

[FatjohnReturns]

Get a box of tissues and have a good cry because barring a miracle things look bleak for the next two years.

[Eddie20]

Get a box of tissues and have a good cry because barring a miracle things look bleak for the next two years.

Not so sure about that. If we win #18 we could very well be ready to make a run next year. If we just re-sign Ray Allen, who will probably come cheaper than Ginobil as he is two years younger and has stated he loves Boston and doesn't want to move, and Tony Allen. We use the MLE on a Miller or Outlaw and our team is extremely formidable.

Another summer of improving his shooting and Rondo can realistically be in conversation alongside Paul and Williams as the best PG in the NBA. His improvements along with the improvements of younger players such as Davis and Perk coupled with a creative MLE signing and this could outweigh, or at least cancel out, the continued decline of the Big 3.

[Cman]

I can't even imagine thinking about this right now...

Yeah, talk to me when the season is over.

[divo0oneh]

I think were in good position to land some talent this summer. I seriously do believe the C's can land 2 1st rounders and this is a pretty deep draft so stars may fall in the late 1st round.

Just hoping James Anderson falls to 19.

[CoachBo]

James Anderson has no defensive skills whatsoever, and comes from a questionable system.

I will pass on him - entirely.

[nickagneta]

James Anderson has no defensive skills whatsoever, and comes from a questionable system.

I will pass on him - entirely.

TP, not crazy about him either.

Damion James, Quincy Pondexter, Stanley Robinson.

Those are the wing prospects I hope Danny is targeting. All athletes extraordinaire. All from great programs and power conferences. All mature with great upside. All plus on the defensive and rebounding side of things. All with great NBA bodies.

[jr_3421]

- 19th pick C's should look to select a young and athletic replacement for Ray Allen. Guys that could fall with all-star potential are James Anderson, Paul George, Lance Stephenson, Dominique Jones, Elliot Williams, and Willie Warren.

This draft is ridiculously thin at the wing position so I don't think that is the way to approach the draft (although I would not be opposed to taking Damien James). Ray Allen has been great for us and cannot be replaced with anyone in this draft. The meat of this draft is the C/PF position which where we should be looking at with the 19th pick.

Larry Sanders - No big is going to play next year with Perk. KG, Baby and Sheed. Perfect developmental guy. Has really improved from his sophomore year which shows a willingness to learn. Fills our athletic weak-side defensive shot-blocker need.

Dexter Pittman - 2nd round option. Big aggressive player with Perk-like work ethic. Seems like a good character guy.

Jerome Randle - 2nd round option. Heady pg. Great vision. Seems pro-ready to back up Rondo by mid-season.

As for free agents, I would love to see us get Amir Johnson. he an athletic big man who plays defense and has a nose for the ball. We haven't had a player like that taller than 6'8 in awhile.

[CoachBo]

James Anderson has no defensive skills whatsoever, and comes from a questionable system.

I will pass on him - entirely.

TP, not crazy about him either.

Damion James, Quincy Pondexter, Stanley Robinson.

Those are the wing prospects I hope Danny is targeting. All athletes extraordinaire. All from great programs and power conferences. All mature with great upside. All plus on the defensive and rebounding side of things. All with great NBA bodies.

I like Damion James, as much as I loathe anything Yew-Tee related. He'd be immediate help off the bench.

[slamtheking]

the most likely course of action Danny takes this summer:
* Resign Ray for 2 years at around 7-8 mill per.
* Resign TA for 2 years at around 2.5 - 3 mill per.
* draft best player available at #19
* draft best player available at #52
* resign Shelden if possible for the vet min or whatever raise he can get as one of our FAs without tapping into the MLE
* Sign Travis Outlaw or Mike Miller with the MLE --> primarily use the MLE to get a scoring wing to team with TA off the bench. 
* depending on his ability to get Outlaw/Miller and possibly drafting a wing at 19, look into resigning Finley as the 5th wing again.  Nice player to have off the bench.
* Sign vet PG that can handle the ball, shoot a little and can at least defend a chair to a vet min contract.
* Ideally, get another late first round or early second round pick.  Best chance is probably a first rounder from a team looking to avoid the obligation of a guaranteed contract for a player that's not likely to contribute right away for those teams. 
Team going into camp:
Rondo/Ray/PP/KG/Perk starting
Sheed/BBD/Outlaw/TA/Shelden/#19/#52/Finley/Vet PG/Extra pick to make 15 players.   Of course that's not accounting for Gaffney and Oliver who'll be coming to camp.  If Gaffney and Oliver pan out, perhaps Finley and the vet PG aren't needed but that's possibly 5 untested players being added to next year's roster.

[snively]

James Anderson has no defensive skills whatsoever, and comes from a questionable system.

I will pass on him - entirely.

TP, not crazy about him either.

Damion James, Quincy Pondexter, Stanley Robinson.

Those are the wing prospects I hope Danny is targeting. All athletes extraordinaire. All from great programs and power conferences. All mature with great upside. All plus on the defensive and rebounding side of things. All with great NBA bodies.

I like Damion James, as much as I loathe anything Yew-Tee related. He'd be immediate help off the bench.

I second your skeptical take on Anderson and your optimistic take on James.

(Another UT player I might take a gamble on if we had an extra pick would be Avery Bradley.  He needs a lot of help finding his game, but he is a tremendous backcourt defender who can shoot and fly in transition.  I can see him developing into Raja Bell with jets with potential for more.

As for the summer:

1.Resign Ray for two years.  This team is too limited offensively and salary wise to let him go. 
2. Sign Mike Miller for two years at the MLE.  I know getting another 30+ guy in apparent decline doesn't sound right, but this team needs versatility to sustain its offensive performance.  Miller can play the Ray Allen role, a little point forward, and even a little small ball 4, making the C's a little less reliant on consistency from Ray and greatly increasing the flexibility of the rotation.
3. Trade Baby for a late 1st round pick (rather move Sheed, but he's a negative asset and I at least expect better shooting from him next year) Draft two above average athletes with basketball brains, 1 backcourt, 1 frontcourt.  Hope that they can develop into 9th/10th men.  Damion James could see time right away as a small ball 4.  There's a ton of combo guards projected to be available at the end of the 1st.
4.  Resign TA.  His defensive consistency this year has earned him another 2 year deal, IMHO.  He's shown that he can play with Rondo in spurts, feed the post from the wing and cover-up for a weak wing defender like Miller (who would return the favor on offense).
5.  Don't waste too much time looking for a back-up PG, they never catch on anyway.  Let Lafayette, a 1st round pick and a minimum signing (Livingston, Marcus Williams, Duhon, Watson are probably hoping for more dough, but is the next row down even worth looking into?  I don't want Kevin Ollie, Lindsey Hunter or Rafer Alston) duke it out a la House and Hudson.
6. Resign Shelden Williams


Projected rotation
PG Rondo/TA
SG Ray/TA/Miller
SF Pierce/Miller
PF KG/athletic rook
C  Perkins/Sheed
10th man athletic rook combo guard
11th man Shelden Williams
12th man vet min
13th man Tony Gaffney
14th man Oliver Lafayette
15th man vet min/52 pick

I think we'd see slight improvements from Rondo and Sheed (his defense will still be slow, but I think his 3-pt shooting struggles are pretty fluky and he should be back around 34%), the same from KG (I think he'll be as slow, but less gimpy), TA and Perk and slight declines from Pierce and Ray.  The addition of Mike Miller to stem our wing decline and a solid rookie should result in an overall slight improvement.