If I'm Danny Ainge

[MetroGlobe]

Either KO or Sully will need to be traded at some point.   Having both doesnt make a lot of sense.

I completely agree.  And from where I sit, Kelly looks to be the more "unique" of the 2, considering his ball handling, passing and shooting ability at 7'0" feet tall.  Sully is a nice player.  But his mold is pretty common.  He can be replaced fairly easily, whereas Kelly O cannot.

As Kelly emerges this season, his value will go way up.  But that's good and bad - good because it means he'll be making the leap.  Bad because he's the guy all the other teams will be demanding in trade talks.

Anyone remember the debate on whether Joe Johnson or Kedrick Brown should be traded?  Unfortunately, we held onto the wrong of those guys in that trade for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk.  It proved to be a huge mistake in Celtics' history.  I'd hate to see another one of those cross-roads happen to us again with Sully and Olynyk and Danny makes the wrong choice.

[aingeforthree]

Either KO or Sully will need to be traded at some point.   Having both doesnt make a lot of sense.

I completely agree.  And from where I sit, Kelly looks to be the more "unique" of the 2, considering his ball handling, passing and shooting ability at 7'0" feet tall.  Sully is a nice player.  But his mold is pretty common.  He can be replaced fairly easily, whereas Kelly O cannot.

As Kelly emerges this season, his value will go way up.  But that's good and bad - good because it means he'll be making the leap.  Bad because he's the guy all the other teams will be demanding in trade talks.

Anyone remember the debate on whether Joe Johnson or Kedrick Brown should be traded?  Unfortunately, we held onto the wrong of those guys in that trade for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk.  It proved to be a huge mistake in Celtics' history.  I'd hate to see another one of those cross-roads happen to us again with Sully and Olynyk and Danny makes the wrong choice.

Really early on both players.  Like you, I keep the unique one if I have to choose.  I trade Sully for whatever he can nab you asset wise, and try and sign Asik, Monroe, or Jordan over the summer with the Rondo money (not the max necessarily).  Pairing KO with one of these guys.

[MetroGlobe]

Have a TP.  I am 110% on board with everything you said.  Even though Monroe isn't a defensive ace, he is still a legit center with height, length and strength.  I think our defense would be fine with so much height between him and Kelly.

Of course it'd be preferable to somehow trade into the top 3 and draft Cauley-Stein, Towns, or Okafor.  But barring that option, Monroe, Asik or Jordan are just what the doctor ordered.

[aingeforthree]

Have a TP.  I am 110% on board with everything you said.  Even though Monroe isn't a defensive ace, he is still a legit center with height, length and strength.  I think our defense would be fine with so much height between him and Kelly.

Of course it'd be preferable to somehow trade into the top 3 and draft Cauley-Stein, Towns, or Okafor.  But barring that option, Monroe, Asik or Jordan are just what the doctor ordered.

We're in pretty darn good shape, thanks to our creative GM.  We're wide open with moves awaiting us.  I'd prefer a top 3 pick of course as well, but in event you don't get it, nabbing Monroe, Asik, or Jordan is a great move.

Smart
Young
Olynyk
Asik/Jordan/Monroe

Start building a contender from those blocks, & the plethora of assets you still have remaining.  Even with adding a big like those, you still have plenty of assets remaining that you can use to improve that roster.

[clover]

You can make a good argument with those two as a starting point.  Will see...
When KO is aggressive, his is a keeper.  I hope he stays that way. 

I like Marcus Smart most of the time. 

If am DA, I stay away from players like Josh Smith and the likes.  Not even for free.

Or two starting points--ha ha, get it?

If James grows into his potential at a good rate, he's another piece as complementary to Smart and Kelly as RA was to KG and PP. (And no, I'm not anointing any of them as as good as those three.) Danny still needs to bring an a brilliant wing player and a stalwart center.

Really, they're quite complementary, with KO's 3pt shooting and playmaking helping to compensate for where Smart is still growing, and Smart's perimeter D a help to Kelly on the defensive end.

[nickagneta]

Unique doesn't equal better, IMHO. Sullinger to me is a better all around player who if he gets in better shape could be a good positional defender. Olynyk will never be anything but a horrid defender that gives up more than he puts up. That to me is a losing proposition but then again I believe you build winning teams with defense and rebounding.

[clover]

Have a TP.  I am 110% on board with everything you said.  Even though Monroe isn't a defensive ace, he is still a legit center with height, length and strength.  I think our defense would be fine with so much height between him and Kelly.

Of course it'd be preferable to somehow trade into the top 3 and draft Cauley-Stein, Towns, or Okafor.  But barring that option, Monroe, Asik or Jordan are just what the doctor ordered.

We're in pretty darn good shape, thanks to our creative GM.  We're wide open with moves awaiting us.  I'd prefer a top 3 pick of course as well, but in event you don't get it, nabbing Monroe, Asik, or Jordan is a great move.

Smart
Young
Olynyk
Asik/Jordan/Monroe

Start building a contender from those blocks, & the plethora of assets you still have remaining.  Even with adding a big like those, you still have plenty of assets remaining that you can use to improve that roster.

Yep.

[clover]

Unique doesn't equal better, IMHO. Sullinger to me is a better all around player who if he gets in better shape could be a good positional defender. Olynyk will never be anything but a horrid defender that gives up more than he puts up. That to me is a losing proposition but then again I believe you build winning teams with defense and rebounding.

Have you been watching Kelly's D these last few weeks? He's really been very active and he looks like he could be a good defender out to the perimeter, while improving down low.

[guava_wrench]

KO is clearly playing well against benches of bad teams. Here are the teams that he scored 20+ against during December (coming off the bench):

Min
Phi
Det

Those could be the 3 worst teams in the NBA. He also scored 19 against Wsh, a very good team.

I have been happy with Olynyk's recent big games, but perspective is good too.

[Celtics18]

Unique doesn't equal better, IMHO. Sullinger to me is a better all around player who if he gets in better shape could be a good positional defender. Olynyk will never be anything but a horrid defender that gives up more than he puts up. That to me is a losing proposition but then again I believe you build winning teams with defense and rebounding.

Have you been watching Kelly's D these last few weeks? He's really been very active and he looks like he could be a good defender out to the perimeter, while improving down low.

Agreed.  I certainly wouldn't call him a good defender yet, but I absolutely think he continues to show improvement on that end of the floor.  He's inconsistent, and when he looks bad he looks really bad, but he does make plays in the lane.  He's got quick hands and has a penchant for showing good anticipation.

For what it's worth, he's got the highest defensive rating of anyone on the team playing significant minutes per BasketballReference. 

[clover]

KO is clearly playing well against benches of bad teams. Here are the teams that he scored 20+ against during December (coming off the bench):

Min
Phi
Det

Those could be the 3 worst teams in the NBA. He also scored 19 against Wsh, a very good team.

I have been happy with Olynyk's recent big games, but perspective is good too.

That's fair.

[aingeforthree]

Unique doesn't equal better, IMHO. Sullinger to me is a better all around player who if he gets in better shape could be a good positional defender. Olynyk will never be anything but a horrid defender that gives up more than he puts up. That to me is a losing proposition but then again I believe you build winning teams with defense and rebounding.

True. But KO is tougher to find in the league.  They don't make 7 footers like that.  They don't grow on trees.  You can find a Sullinger.

[GzUP617]

Have a TP.  I am 110% on board with everything you said.  Even though Monroe isn't a defensive ace, he is still a legit center with height, length and strength.  I think our defense would be fine with so much height between him and Kelly.

Of course it'd be preferable to somehow trade into the top 3 and draft Cauley-Stein, Towns, or Okafor.  But barring that option, Monroe, Asik or Jordan are just what the doctor ordered.

We're in pretty darn good shape, thanks to our creative GM.  We're wide open with moves awaiting us.  I'd prefer a top 3 pick of course as well, but in event you don't get it, nabbing Monroe, Asik, or Jordan is a great move.

Smart
Young
Olynyk
Asik/Jordan/Monroe

Start building a contender from those blocks, & the plethora of assets you still have remaining.  Even with adding a big like those, you still have plenty of assets remaining that you can use to improve that roster.

Yep.

 Add Stanley Johnson as the starting 3 and thats a fun team to watch.

[Celtics4ever]

  You can find a Sullinger.

A Sullinger who can defend would be even better.

KO has the mindset to be a good big off the bench.   McHale had it too, not all guys can play off the bench. 

[GzUP617]

  You can find a Sullinger.

A Sullinger who can defend would be even better.

KO has the mindset to be a good big off the bench.   McHale had it too, not all guys can play off the bench.

  I feel Sullinger has great bench potential. Kelly has good starting potential at the power forward position.  Pair him with a real center with legit size and that's a better front court than we have now.