We might be set at the 1, 2 and 3

[Celtics4ever]

I think SF and C are our biggest needs, I definitely do not think Turner is the answer.

[KeepRondo]

I think SF and C are our biggest needs, I definitely do not think Turner is the answer.

The small forward position would also be the easiest to upgrade and we certainly need one. If there's a small forward available in the draft or a center that Ainge is unsure of, I hope we grab the small forward. I would even trade Young to move up if he could get Stanley Johnson.

[Greyman]

Some of the current roster will be starting next season. I doubt that DA can engineer 5 new starters that improve on every position. Fine to say that the current players make a great bench but, even after new additions after the offseason, current players will be sharing some positions.

[Tr1boy]

Not set at 3 and we could use another 1/2 combo guard to round out the backcourt

I'm intrigued by Hayes and Pope (potential) for the 3.  Dekker also is looking good

It would be magically if we could get Winslow but he is looking like he is def going in the top 5. Even higher than Okafor is a possibility

[GreenGoggles]

As much as I wanted Smart to be great he hasn't shown enough to be a lock as our future PG. Avery very well could be the 4th or 5th best player on a championship team but that wouldn't stop me from looking for upgrades. As for Evan Turner, no way.

[Quetzalcoatl]

The only thing Marcus can't do is score.  He was on the Pacers' best player last night (Hill), played a ton of minutes and had 4 steals.  If he had just put up like 6 more points, everyone would be raving about his game.  If we can put him next to someone like Leonard it will be absurd, he just needs to work on his shot a little.  Think about how far Bradley has come with his jump shot.

Avery Bradley:
Rookie year: 1.7 PPG, 5.2 minutes, 0 games started, 34% FG
Sophomore year: 7.6 PPG, 21.4 minutes, 28 games started, 49.8% FG

Marcus Smart:
Rookie year: 7.7 PPG, 26.6 minutes, 31 GS, 35.6% FG

Smart's stats look like a hybrid of Avery Bradley's 1st and 2nd years.  It is pretty unlikely that Smart isn't significantly better next year on offense and he's already averaging about 8 points.  There are all kinds of threads like this one below in our archives about Bradley that sound ridiculously similar to threads about Smart:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=48682.msg1024969#msg1024969

He's going to be fine, he's just a rookie.

[alldaboston]

The only thing Marcus can't do is score.  He was on the Pacers' best player last night (Hill), played a ton of minutes and had 4 steals.  If he had just put up like 6 more points, everyone would be raving about his game.  If we can put him next to someone like Leonard it will be absurd, he just needs to work on his shot a little.  Think about how far Bradley has come with his jump shot.

Avery Bradley:
Rookie year: 1.7 PPG, 5.2 minutes, 0 games started, 34% FG
Sophomore year: 7.6 PPG, 21.4 minutes, 28 games started, 49.8% FG

Marcus Smart:
Rookie year: 7.7 PPG, 26.6 minutes, 31 GS, 35.6% FG

Smart's stats look like a hybrid of Avery Bradley's 1st and 2nd years.  It is pretty unlikely that Smart isn't significantly better next year on offense and he's already averaging about 8 points.  There are all kinds of threads like this one below in our archives about Bradley that sound ridiculously similar to threads about Smart:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=48682.msg1024969#msg1024969

He's going to be fine, he's just a rookie.

This

[Rosco917]

We don't know if Smart is the solution at point, until he actually plays it. Turner is acting as the point on offense, with Smart guarding the 1 or the 2 on D because he's a great defender as a rookie. I like Marcus Smart, but lets be honest, he has a ways to go, if you're asking him to be the fulltime PG on a contender, lets see what happens in a year.

Bradley has improved since the allstar break, if you add in his stellar defense he's good on a team with a talented wing player next to him. But he still is undersized.

Turner as the final answer at small forward, IMO not consistent enough, and needs the ball in his hands ALL the time to be effective. Not really a good 3 point shooter either.

I'm taking about on a good contending team, not an 8th seed playoff team.

[Hemingway]

Sure we are not star packed at the 1 2 and 3, but if we could upgrade the 5 and maybe 4 we could be a top 10 team in the nba next year at least.

_____/Zeller
_____/whomever we keep of Sully, KO, Bass, Jerebko
Turner/Crowder
AB/IT
Smart/Pressy

play around with that.

My point is we are winning games now while being very weak down low especially on D. Sure if you can get a top talent at any position do it but we could easily win 50 games next year buy getting a star 4 or 5. Getting a star 1 2 or 3 leaves us with the same problems we have now.


Anyone have ideas of big men targets we could trade for? We've talked the guys we COULD theoretically sing (love, aldredge, gasol exc) and trading for Cousins to death. We probably would go for any of those guys but the chances seem low. But I imagine Ainge has some other targets in mind. Any idea who? 

[LGC88]

I agree, we need a do-it-all type of player at SF, like Pierce.
And a muscle at the 5 that can run a bit, like Splitter or Monroe.
If Danny can get 2 players like that for the next season without selling the house, we might make some serious noise next season.

[2short]

We can easily upgrade every starting position on our roster so I don't think we are set on anything.  Like someone else stated we have a great bench.  Don't get me wrong I like the team and am very impressed with the work ethic.  What we need is this group of guys and a upgrade at 2 positions.  Put lamarcus aldridge on the team or noah or gasol and suddenly turner is fine at sf etc etc

[fandrew]

Honestly, I would like to keep Smart because I think he may be a great all around player in 1 or 2 more years.

I want to keep Young because I think he is too young and underdeveloped to just give away. I want to see if Sully shows up IN SHAPE next season.

I think that a slimmer and more agile Sully would be a 20/10 player. He is skilled enough, and smart enough to be that kind of player, its just a matter of conditioning.

I like Crowder and Jorebko and Zeller and Thomas.

In my opinion we have a wonderful bench, but have several holes in the starting spot:

Smart/Thomas/Pressey
_/Thomas/Young
_/Crowder/Gigi
Sully/Jorebko/KO
_/Zeller/KO

Young isn't there yet, and probably won't be next year either. Bradley and Turner (and Zeller) are not starting pieces on a contending team. Thomas could start now. He is our best offensive player in a line up that needs a punch to start games.

I see Bradley and Turner (and KO, Young and Sully) as good pieces to trade with in the offseason. Though, at this point anyone but Smart is pretty much on the table. Zeller is not much of a chip, and Jorebko and Crowder are free agents.

Point I am trying to make: We are set at nothing.

[hwangjini_1]

The only thing Marcus can't do is score.  He was on the Pacers' best player last night (Hill), played a ton of minutes and had 4 steals.  If he had just put up like 6 more points, everyone would be raving about his game.  If we can put him next to someone like Leonard it will be absurd, he just needs to work on his shot a little.  Think about how far Bradley has come with his jump shot.

Avery Bradley:
Rookie year: 1.7 PPG, 5.2 minutes, 0 games started, 34% FG
Sophomore year: 7.6 PPG, 21.4 minutes, 28 games started, 49.8% FG

Marcus Smart:
Rookie year: 7.7 PPG, 26.6 minutes, 31 GS, 35.6% FG

Smart's stats look like a hybrid of Avery Bradley's 1st and 2nd years.  It is pretty unlikely that Smart isn't significantly better next year on offense and he's already averaging about 8 points.  There are all kinds of threads like this one below in our archives about Bradley that sound ridiculously similar to threads about Smart:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=48682.msg1024969#msg1024969

He's going to be fine, he's just a rookie.

This

this and.

normally we (or at least i) tend to look at a player's ability to do x or y, perhaps even z as if that talent/ability is universal. that is, the player's abilities would translate equally regardless of the particular team or coach. often this view may have merit.

but with CBS, i am not so sure. CBS has taken a bunch of ok to marginal nba players and almost turned them into a playoff team. they are playing beyond their individual talents and within a team scheme that allows them to play to their strengths. he doesnt ask them to go much beyond these strengths.

case in point, crowder had the rep of being a pretty poor offensive player. with CBS? he is okay on offense.

now back to marcus. is his poor point production a product of his limited/streaky shooting? yes, but... i would put forth that another factor may be that CBS doesnt run many offensive plays for him...yet. CBS doesnt seem to have smart as part of the scoring part of the offense in a consistent manner. right now, perhaps marcus is doing what he does best and his scoring is taking a back seat in CBS' scheme.

if this is so, that smart's limited point production is IN PART due to CBS, in the future i think CBS will integrate smart into the offense more, and his scoring will go up.

just as sully jacked up 3 pointers because CBS said "pretend you're antoine" to him, i think smart was told to play a particular role for this team - defensive now, offense later.

just some thoughts early in the morning. 

[fandrew]

The only thing Marcus can't do is score.  He was on the Pacers' best player last night (Hill), played a ton of minutes and had 4 steals.  If he had just put up like 6 more points, everyone would be raving about his game.  If we can put him next to someone like Leonard it will be absurd, he just needs to work on his shot a little.  Think about how far Bradley has come with his jump shot.

Avery Bradley:
Rookie year: 1.7 PPG, 5.2 minutes, 0 games started, 34% FG
Sophomore year: 7.6 PPG, 21.4 minutes, 28 games started, 49.8% FG

Marcus Smart:
Rookie year: 7.7 PPG, 26.6 minutes, 31 GS, 35.6% FG

Smart's stats look like a hybrid of Avery Bradley's 1st and 2nd years.  It is pretty unlikely that Smart isn't significantly better next year on offense and he's already averaging about 8 points.  There are all kinds of threads like this one below in our archives about Bradley that sound ridiculously similar to threads about Smart:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=48682.msg1024969#msg1024969

He's going to be fine, he's just a rookie.

This

this and.

normally we (or at least i) tend to look at a player's ability to do x or y, perhaps even z as if that talent/ability is universal. that is, the player's abilities would translate equally regardless of the particular team or coach. often this view may have merit.

but with CBS, i am not so sure. CBS has taken a bunch of ok to marginal nba players and almost turned them into a playoff team. they are playing beyond their individual talents and within a team scheme that allows them to play to their strengths. he doesnt ask them to go much beyond these strengths.

case in point, crowder had the rep of being a pretty poor offensive player. with CBS? he is okay on offense.

now back to marcus. is his poor point production a product of his limited/streaky shooting? yes, but... i would put forth that another factor may be that CBS doesnt run many offensive plays for him...yet. CBS doesnt seem to have smart as part of the scoring part of the offense in a consistent manner. right now, perhaps marcus is doing what he does best and his scoring is taking a back seat in CBS' scheme.

if this is so, that smart's limited point production is IN PART due to CBS, in the future i think CBS will integrate smart into the offense more, and his scoring will go up.

just as sully jacked up 3 pointers because CBS said "pretend you're antoine" to him, i think smart was told to play a particular role for this team - defensive now, offense later.

just some thoughts early in the morning. 

To which Sully replied "Who is Antoine?"

[Celtics4ever]

I think that a slimmer and more agile Sully would be a 20/10 player. He is skilled enough, and smart enough to be that kind of player, its just a matter of conditioning.

Trouble is he was not agile when he was slimmer nor was he a good athlete.  He just does not have the base.   I agree, he has some skill, some basketball IQ but getting is shape will only help him so much because his athletic base is small and finite.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/NBA-Combine-Athletic-Testing-Results-Released-3964/

Sully was worst at the lane agility drill at 12.77 in his draft at his combine to put that into context KO was is an average athlete got 11.42, a guy like Cody Zeller posted a 10.8

Despite significant improvement, Sullinger still had 10.7% body fat. That’s not DeMarcus Cousins or Dexter Pittman level, but he should probably order the medium next time.

His 31-inch max vertical was sixth-worst, but his 7’1? wingspan gives him a solid max vertical reach. And the dude is sloooooow. Like, Peyton Manning slow. He was dead-last in lane agility, with the same time as the laterally-challenged Brook Lopez and JaVale McGee. He was also dead last in sprints. And despite all the talk about his overwhelming strength, his nine bench-press repetitions weren’t overly impressive.

Sullinger also refuted my sneaking suspicion that he’s a dead ringer for Kevin Love athletically, as Love’s combine numbers were much more impressive than Sullinger’s.

http://www.sportsgrid.com/nba/nba-draft-combine-results/

Here is a great Sullinger qoute:

"This (not being invited to the draft, being picked low) still tells me I'm not a good enough player yet. They told me I wasn't good enough, now it's time to work."

We are still waiting for him to start working, he has some talent, but I seriously question whether he will ever get it and get into shape.

http://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/6/29/3126741/nba-draft-2012-results-jared-sullinger-boston-celtics

here is what he said last year

“Not really focused on weight. More shape,” he said. “How long I can run, how fast I can run. Pretty much how long I can stay on the court without passing out. I’m working on that every day. I think I’ve got quick feet for my size. Losing weight and getting in better shape is only going to enhance that.”

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/07/02/cnotes/lyA0clB4wlV7uIlumZdRmK/story.html


Now do you see what a huge "if" that is for him to get into shape.   To be honest, I think we need a  SF who can shoot the three and do those PP things.,   and a 4 and 5.   We have the bench bigs .