Is O'Bryant that bad?

[mattyweb]

O'Bryant has a guaranteed contract for next year, right? Doesn't that answer the question of whether or not he's going to get cut?

Ainge signed him as a project. I don't think it matters much what he does this year, there's almost no way he'll be a major part of the rotation. The question is whether after a year of banging with Perk in practice, getting garbage minutes, and hitting the weight room will he be good enough to be the 8-9th man next season?

Given the development of Pruitt the logical move seems to be moving Cassell into a full-time coaches role in order to sign Mutombo or PJ. Hopefully, Ainge has a deal with Cassell that if it looks like they don't need him to play he'll gracefully step aside. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

[Vermont Green]

I call him Patrick Slow-Bryant.  He looks like he ran a marathon before he entered the game.  I think Manute Bol had quicker feet.

Interesting that you should bring up Manute Bol.  I lived in the DC area during the season that the "Bullets" had Bol and Bogues (biggest and smallest freak show), and I went to a number of games.  Bol was slow but not foot speed slow, it was reaction slow.  He was a beat behind the game.  Paddy has the same problem although not as bad as Bol.  Paddy just can't react fast enough to keep up with the NBA game.  When he has the ball, he can control the speed so he is remarkable effective shooting.  But on defense, you have to react.  I am pretty slow myself but I played basketball through high school and still play hockey.  You can compensate for slow reactions (or reflexes or what ever you want to call them) by improving your understanding of the game but there is a point in all sports where reactions just win out.  This is the most true in hockey, which is almost all about reactions, the least with football (which I also played in HS) where things develop a little slower so you can think and anticipate.  Basketball is somewhere in the middle.  I think he can improve some by drilling the defensive assignments but he is always going to be slow.

[Andy Jick]

too bad POB isn't 7'7" and shoots 3-ptrs...

[amenhotep04]

Tommy said last night that it takes bigs five years in the NBA before they know how to play the game.  The kid can't play defense for beans right now, but he is young, tall, and can shoot.  If he shows improvement, and has been working, then he'll be around.

Coming back to reality, there have been threads addressing the abilities or worth to this team of every player except I think KG and Paul. I think too many of the posters are related to the Steinbrenner family.

[TrueGreen]

I didn't think he looked that bad early on playing when Perk was on the mend. Now Davis is out for a few games and Doc says this is where it really hurts not having another big. Yet I don't think that O'Bryant will get any playing time. Is he really that bad? If he is, why is he still around? I understand he's somewhat of a project, but when someone is injured you need someone who can at least step in for a few games.
I'm just wondering what others who maybe have seen more of him think.

I just don't think he has the heart to be a Celtic. If Mutumbo will come here he can help the team in the playoffs. O'Bryant can't. (He's okay for the regular season). We're doing well with who we have now, but we really need a quality vet big.

[EJPLAYA]

You know all is well in Celtic land when the only thing we really have to complain about is the potential of a project end of the bench big man who was never thought by Danny to be a contributor this year. We should be glad that this team is clicking along so well and that we have arguably 5 all-stars for our starters. We also have a few very nice role players off the bench. Sure we could use a veteran big to replace BBD minutes, but that's in the works as well. What a nice Christmas present.  Merry Christmas everyone!

[Redz]

You know all is well in Celtic land when the only thing we really have to complain about is the potential of a project end of the bench big man who was never thought by Danny to be a contributor this year. We should be glad that this team is clicking along so well and that we have arguably 5 all-stars for our starters. We also have a few very nice role players off the bench. Sure we could use a veteran big to replace BBD minutes, but that's in the works as well. What a nice Christmas present.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Humbug EJ! We need something to Humbug about 

 

[moiso]

I still think O'Bryant has so very nice talent.  He seems to be a very good shooter and shot blocker.  I think 20lbs of extra weight would do him world of good.  Sometimes I think he appears much slower than he really is because he is always trying to minimize body contact when rotating from point A to point B.  Its like he has to be sure he's not going to bump into anyone before he actually moves.

[hwangjini_1]

O'Bryant has skill. He is very young, and very tall, and pretty athletic. It would be disappointing to me if he were cut to make roster room for Mutombo or PJ, but that is what I fear will happen.

good thread so far. i agree with footey. from what little i have seen POB seems atheltic. i know perk could not make some of the offensive moves POB does. and POB is quicker that perk.

my main worry was POB's desire. but folks here seem to say that isnt a worry. good.

he is too thin and weak right now. but those can be corrected fortunately.

doc in the past has kept young players on the bench and brought them along slowly. perk is one example. pruitt is another. and also giddens and walker early on. he may be using the same approach with POB.

if ainge adds a player and doesnt trade anyone else away, i would expect giddens to get axed, not POB.

POB seems to be a low risk, high reward type of player. (not REALLY high, but high enough to warrent the small investment.)

[bucknersrevenge]

O'Bryant has skill. He is very young, and very tall, and pretty athletic. It would be disappointing to me if he were cut to make roster room for Mutombo or PJ, but that is what I fear will happen.

good thread so far. i agree with footey. from what little i have seen POB seems atheltic. i know perk could not make some of the offensive moves POB does. and POB is quicker that perk.

my main worry was POB's desire. but folks here seem to say that isnt a worry. good.

he is too thin and weak right now. but those can be corrected fortunately.

doc in the past has kept young players on the bench and brought them along slowly. perk is one example. pruitt is another. and also giddens and walker early on. he may be using the same approach with POB.

if ainge adds a player and doesnt trade anyone else away, i would expect giddens to get axed, not POB.

POB seems to be a low risk, high reward type of player. (not REALLY high, but high enough to warrent the small investment.)

I disagree. I think that is a huge concern. This kid plays the game with ZERO aggression at all and that's just something you shouldn't tolerate from your big man; especially if he wants o play HERE. He doesn't push, he doesn't battle. BBD even height and somewhat talent and height-challenged has a little fire in his belly when he plays and that's why he gets the minutes that O'Bryant doesn't get.

Some people even debate O'Bryant's skills for the game and that's fine. But since I see no "workman-like attitude in this kids approach to the game when he's on the floor I just don't see him getting better.

Bottomline: Patrick O'Bryant doesn't want it.

[celts55]

You know all is well in Celtic land when the only thing we really have to complain about is the potential of a project end of the bench big man who was never thought by Danny to be a contributor this year. We should be glad that this team is clicking along so well and that we have arguably 5 all-stars for our starters. We also have a few very nice role players off the bench. Sure we could use a veteran big to replace BBD minutes, but that's in the works as well. What a nice Christmas present.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Just to be clear, I wasn't complain in my original post. I was asking if he is that bad that he can't even get minutes while Davis is out. I don't expect him to be getting minutes when everyone is healthy, but with baby out there is a ovious lack of back up big men. Powe is really the only other one as I don't consider Scal a big. i mean even if he's the 12th man, isn't this the time you would need to use him?

[Cman]

O'Bryant has skill. He is very young, and very tall, and pretty athletic. It would be disappointing to me if he were cut to make roster room for Mutombo or PJ, but that is what I fear will happen.

good thread so far. i agree with footey. from what little i have seen POB seems atheltic. i know perk could not make some of the offensive moves POB does. and POB is quicker that perk.

my main worry was POB's desire. but folks here seem to say that isnt a worry. good.

he is too thin and weak right now. but those can be corrected fortunately.

doc in the past has kept young players on the bench and brought them along slowly. perk is one example. pruitt is another. and also giddens and walker early on. he may be using the same approach with POB.

if ainge adds a player and doesnt trade anyone else away, i would expect giddens to get axed, not POB.

POB seems to be a low risk, high reward type of player. (not REALLY high, but high enough to warrent the small investment.)

(1) if anyone gets cut to make room for Mutombo or PJ it will probably be Cassell.  Rondo is playing more minutes this year, Eddie is good in spurts, and Pruitt seems to be coming along nicely.  I think Cassell is super-redundant at this point.

(2) it seems to me (from the limited games I have watched), that POB's biggest weakness right now is his strength.  I don't view it so much as that he "doesn't want it" enough or "doesn't get physical" enough -- I think he is just too weak to battle against other, bigger F/Cs.  Thankfully, this should be remediable with diet and weight lifting.  Also, even if he can't become a bigger player, with proper coaching he can learn to play within his strengths. 

[EJPLAYA]

You know all is well in Celtic land when the only thing we really have to complain about is the potential of a project end of the bench big man who was never thought by Danny to be a contributor this year. We should be glad that this team is clicking along so well and that we have arguably 5 all-stars for our starters. We also have a few very nice role players off the bench. Sure we could use a veteran big to replace BBD minutes, but that's in the works as well. What a nice Christmas present.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Just to be clear, I wasn't complain in my original post. I was asking if he is that bad that he can't even get minutes while Davis is out. I don't expect him to be getting minutes when everyone is healthy, but with baby out there is a ovious lack of back up big men. Powe is really the only other one as I don't consider Scal a big. i mean even if he's the 12th man, isn't this the time you would need to use him?

Oh, that wasn't what I was meaning at all. I was actually trying to come across as saying things are great here in Celtics land and that as we all need to break apart some part of the team to discuss and look for ways to get better, it is nice that we have to go clear down to our 12th man who is a project. What a nice turn of events over a couple years!

I do consider Scal a big man seeing as he is 6'9" and does his best defensive work against PF's. He may not play that way offensively, but he is not a SF by any stretch. If the game was on the line I'd rather have Scal out there defending their big man than BBD. Scal is a very smart player. He has to be since he has very little athleticism comparably.

We do need an additional big man and I think that either Mutombo or PJ or Joe Smith fit that bill. A trade can also be made to secure someone. I would trade BBD and one of the rookies in a heart beat for a serviceable defensive big to come off the bench. I think BBD is actually getting worse as his weight increases. I don't think he will ever be better than he is right now, so to lure someone into a trade of a veteran big would be a big bonus.

Truly heart felt Merry Christmas to all on here.

[CDawg834]

Where's Bruno Sundov when you need him?

[nickagneta]

I guess I could do a gigantic scouting report on POB, list his strengths and weaknesses and pointing out what he seems to be doing right and wrong but the simple answer to the OP is, with Baby out and POB not getting any minutes, then yeah, he must be that bad. Or at least that bad right now. Maybe he'll get better with more coaching and training. We'll have to wait and see.