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Around the League => Transaction Ideas and Rumors => Topic started by: 2short on December 11, 2012, 04:40:58 PM

Title: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: 2short on December 11, 2012, 04:40:58 PM
Guy is legit size (7', 270 lbs)  and has played well against Boston in the past.  He seems like a guy who won't break the bank (2.5m) , is still young, big body and doesn't appear to be an attitude problem.  KG, Wilcox, Gray and Collins gives you speed, size and fouls to give.  Thoughts?
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: fitzhickey on December 11, 2012, 04:57:56 PM
Don't mind him. He will get 5 and 5 every night
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: sofutomygaha on December 11, 2012, 05:16:08 PM

I think his defense would have to be better for him to be useful to us. He is usually an all-world rebounder, but the rest of his game is pretty bad- I think the Celtics would have a better +/- with Sullinger and Wilcox taking those minutes.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: rocknrollforyoursoul on December 11, 2012, 05:54:37 PM
Their career averages are almost identical (Gray: 3.9 pts, 3.9 reb, 0.3 blk; Collins: 3.8 pts, 3.9 reb, 0.5 blk), but for some reason Gray seems better to me. Maybe I've just seen him at the right times. I like Gray's size, but I'm really hoping that if Danny brings in another big, it's someone who can rebound well.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: Jon on December 11, 2012, 06:43:41 PM
Their career averages are almost identical (Gray: 3.9 pts, 3.9 reb, 0.3 blk; Collins: 3.8 pts, 3.9 reb, 0.5 blk), but for some reason Gray seems better to me. Maybe I've just seen him at the right times. I like Gray's size, but I'm really hoping that if Danny brings in another big, it's someone who can rebound well.

And I think therein lies the problem.  Unless the C's bring in someone that is going to supplant Wilcox and/or the smaller ball lineups of Bass/Sully, what's really the point?  If they really wanted to play bigger merely for the sake of doing so, they'd be playing Collins regularly. 
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: hardlyyardley on December 11, 2012, 06:59:27 PM
He is still with Toronto right?....if so, definitely not worth giving up anything for him....if he's now a free agent, the ABC theory (anybody but Collins) would apply
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: slamtheking on December 11, 2012, 08:21:57 PM
he's looked serviceable against the C's in the past.  if he was a FA, might be worth considering as an option if no one better presents themselves.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: pearljammer10 on December 11, 2012, 08:30:42 PM
He is still with Toronto right?....if so, definitely not worth giving up anything for him....if he's now a free agent, the ABC theory (anybody but Collins) would apply

i was going to ask where hes playing cause i have no idea.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: pearljammer10 on December 12, 2012, 11:46:06 AM
Could we ship a 2nd rounder to Toronto for him if worse comes to worse? I say we wait to see if we can nab any other big fish first. If we could get Gray to replace Collins im all for it. Other than that I dont see a huge upgrade from him for us.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: 2short on December 12, 2012, 11:59:55 AM
Could we ship a 2nd rounder to Toronto for him if worse comes to worse? I say we wait to see if we can nab any other big fish first. If we could get Gray to replace Collins im all for it. Other than that I dont see a huge upgrade from him for us.
I just think he has some upside because of his age where Collins is what he is, Gray is making 2.5m I think which means salaries matching.  Toronto is playing him much at all so he might be able to be had cheap.  I always thought he looked pretty good against us.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: pearljammer10 on December 12, 2012, 12:01:44 PM
Could we ship a 2nd rounder to Toronto for him if worse comes to worse? I say we wait to see if we can nab any other big fish first. If we could get Gray to replace Collins im all for it. Other than that I dont see a huge upgrade from him for us.
I just think he has some upside because of his age where Collins is what he is, Gray is making 2.5m I think which means salaries matching.  Toronto is playing him much at all so he might be able to be had cheap.  I always thought he looked pretty good against us.

Yeah hes only played 8 games all year for Toronto. I dont see the appeal for Toronto in taking back Collins unless they just waive him to get an extra second rounder.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: Jeff on December 12, 2012, 12:02:24 PM
is he any better than Jason Collins?
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: ssspence on December 12, 2012, 12:24:38 PM
is he any better than Jason Collins?

Not significantly, which makes me wonder why you'd give up an asset to get him. We don't have a good salary match anyway....
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: lightspeed5 on December 12, 2012, 12:35:45 PM
this guy is so bad its hilarious.

aaron gray is a joke in the modern NBA, where power forwards play the center position.  Every contender plays a power forward at center. thats why the lakers are no longer contenders.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: Who on December 12, 2012, 12:38:14 PM
is he any better than Jason Collins?
I would say Gray is different rather than better.

Both players are third string quality centers. Collins is a defensive orientated one and Gray is an offensively orientated player. They serve different purposes.

Collins a defensive specialist you can throw out against bigger front-lines but is a limited offensive player and rebounder. Gray a guy with good hands and footwork in the paint who can give you some role-player level interior scoring and rebounding but is a limited defensive player.

If the price was very low and better alternatives were not available, I would think this is worth pursuing ... but it would clearly be more of a fall-back option because the added-value is here but is fairly small.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: lightspeed5 on December 12, 2012, 01:04:21 PM
fab melo has more talent than aaron gray
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: 2short on December 12, 2012, 01:22:52 PM
is he any better than Jason Collins?
I would say Gray is different rather than better.

Both players are third string quality centers. Collins is a defensive orientated one and Gray is an offensively orientated player. They serve different purposes.

Collins a defensive specialist you can throw out against bigger front-lines but is a limited offensive player and rebounder. Gray a guy with good hands and footwork in the paint who can give you some role-player level interior scoring and rebounding but is a limited defensive player.

If the price was very low and better alternatives were not available, I would think this is worth pursuing ... but it would clearly be more of a fall-back option because the added-value is here but is fairly small.
agreed, i'm not saying trade sully for him, but if he can be had for cheap he can fill darkos spot and give us a true big
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: Yoki_IsTheName on December 12, 2012, 01:31:51 PM
The thing I like about Gray is he seems to have good hands and knows to position well to get inside passes. Well, I've seen him do that in the playoffs before with CP3, so I guess I'm basing it on very small sample size. But I see good hands there.

I like him, although, I'd rather play Fab Melo at this point. Already a better shot blocker than Gray by basketball instincts alone. Melo also has decent hands.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: 2short on December 12, 2012, 01:33:25 PM
The thing I like about Gray is he seems to have good hands and knows to position well to get inside passes. Well, I've seen him do that in the playoffs before with CP3, so I guess I'm basing it on very small sample size. But I see good hands there.

I like him, although, I'd rather play Fab Melo at this point. Already a better shot blocker than Gray by basketball instincts alone. Melo also has decent hands.
melo is just soooo lost on defensive rotations, love his potential and shot blocking but he isn't nba ready this season and maybe not next season
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: Yoki_IsTheName on December 12, 2012, 01:47:04 PM
The thing I like about Gray is he seems to have good hands and knows to position well to get inside passes. Well, I've seen him do that in the playoffs before with CP3, so I guess I'm basing it on very small sample size. But I see good hands there.

I like him, although, I'd rather play Fab Melo at this point. Already a better shot blocker than Gray by basketball instincts alone. Melo also has decent hands.
melo is just soooo lost on defensive rotations, love his potential and shot blocking but he isn't nba ready this season and maybe not next season

I understand that. But so would Gray, while he can pick up rotations he's really slow to recover. What I'm saying I guess is, if we're giving up something to get Gray, unless it's a straight trade for Collins, I'd rather have Melo playing. I understand his deficiencies, but he brings something that Gray wouldn't, the shot blocking. And we don't have to give up a pick or someone else.

But you're right on the rotation thing, here's hoping he can figure it out.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: moiso on December 12, 2012, 01:49:57 PM
He's a stiff.
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: Who on December 12, 2012, 01:55:22 PM
The thing I like about Gray is he seems to have good hands and knows to position well to get inside passes. Well, I've seen him do that in the playoffs before with CP3, so I guess I'm basing it on very small sample size. But I see good hands there.

I like him, although, I'd rather play Fab Melo at this point. Already a better shot blocker than Gray by basketball instincts alone. Melo also has decent hands.
melo is just soooo lost on defensive rotations, love his potential and shot blocking but he isn't nba ready this season and maybe not next season

I understand that. But so would Gray, while he can pick up rotations he's really slow to recover. What I'm saying I guess is, if we're giving up something to get Gray, unless it's a straight trade for Collins, I'd rather have Melo playing. I understand his deficiencies, but he brings something that Gray wouldn't, the shot blocking. And we don't have to give up a pick or someone else.

But you're right on the rotation thing, here's hoping he can figure it out.

Kris Joseph or a 2nd round pick would be all I would be willing to give up to get Aaron Gray.

I would rather keep Jason Collins than sign Gray. I think Collins is more important / valuable as a defensive specialist than Gray's offensive game is. 
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: ScoobyDoo on December 12, 2012, 04:04:33 PM
This team is built with mostly athleticism and speed right now -
Rondo, Barbosa, Bradley, Jet, Lee, Pierce, Green, Bass, KG
Sully and Collins are kind of plodders.

What we don't have is a big bruiser - outside of Sully when he's at the four. I think this is why we had such high hopes for Darko to be that space eating, enforcer type guy. Not an all star, just someone throwing their weight around for 5-15 minutes a night.

If we get Bradley back healthy, Sully continues to elarn how to thrown muscle around the Reggie Evans does and then we added Aaron Gray for more size, this team would become very, very difficult to beat.

It's not about how good Gray is - it's that he adds what we don't have, and he does it at a decent level for a back up.

He also gave Bynum all he wanted in the playoffs a few years back and he is not afraid of physical contact at all in the paint.

He does have good hands and finishes well around the paint so on this team, if he knows where to go he could get a lot of easy bunnies on our team. I wouldn't be suprised for a guy like him to average 8-4 on our team with limited minutes.   

I'd still keep Collins for now and wouldn't want to give up Joseph just yet. But I'd certainly give a second round pick and cash if that would work.

We need another half decent seven footer this year, much more than we need another second round pick in the mid 40's next draft. 
Title: Re: Aaron Gray could be a reasonable center target!
Post by: 2short on December 12, 2012, 04:38:13 PM
This team is built with mostly athleticism and speed right now -
Rondo, Barbosa, Bradley, Jet, Lee, Pierce, Green, Bass, KG
Sully and Collins are kind of plodders.

What we don't have is a big bruiser - outside of Sully when he's at the four. I think this is why we had such high hopes for Darko to be that space eating, enforcer type guy. Not an all star, just someone throwing their weight around for 5-15 minutes a night.

If we get Bradley back healthy, Sully continues to elarn how to thrown muscle around the Reggie Evans does and then we added Aaron Gray for more size, this team would become very, very difficult to beat.

It's not about how good Gray is - it's that he adds what we don't have, and he does it at a decent level for a back up.

He also gave Bynum all he wanted in the playoffs a few years back and he is not afraid of physical contact at all in the paint.

He does have good hands and finishes well around the paint so on this team, if he knows where to go he could get a lot of easy bunnies on our team. I wouldn't be suprised for a guy like him to average 8-4 on our team with limited minutes.   

I'd still keep Collins for now and wouldn't want to give up Joseph just yet. But I'd certainly give a second round pick and cash if that would work.

We need another half decent seven footer this year, much more than we need another second round pick in the mid 40's next draft.
2nd rounder and cash would be great
i would also not give up on joseph yet, nice complete game just depends if next year he can be nba ready (or late this year)