Ainge: Celtics need another 'dynamic scorer

[Ilikesports17]

It starts with Monroe, that's the guy we need to get.

Monroe would help for scoring and rebounding. Not much for shot blocking. Not really sure also If I want to throw 16-17 million a season for him

If he can give you 16/10/3 on around 50% shooting on a nightly basis, then I'm all for it.

I believe his size (At 6'11" / 250 lbs with a 7'5" wingspan) and low post game could completely transform this team's offense.

In that spirit, and even though I like Monroe, I'd rather make a trade for Vonleh.

I do like Vonleh a lot as a prospect, always did.  While his current ability is minimal, I think his potential is absolutely through the roof.

That said, I'm starting to get weary of all the young "nobody now with potential" guys we keep acquiring.  I think it's always nice to have 2 or 3 of those kind of guys, but right now it feels like we have about 8 of them.

I'd rather pick up a legit starter and borderline-star like Monroe rather than add another such player, but if we could sign Monroe and trade for Vonleh then I'd definitely be up for that.

Wonder if the Hornets would trade Vonleh for Turner and a late first?

I doubt it, unless they move Stephenson.  Man, I must have been watching the wrong videos on Vonleh last year, lol , because I just found one that actually shows his ability, and all I can say is deng , haha .

Id love to add vonleh. The key with him is that he is a week younger than James Young and battled injuries this year. Add to this that he is  That is huge.

He is 6'10" with a 7'4" wingspan.

I think there is also a chance that Charlotte panics and sells low on him. I mean they have a lot of dissapointing top 10 picks on that roster and hopefully they are worried Vonleh will be the next one.

I dont think Turner and a late 1 would get it done, however maybe 16, 28 and KO?

I mean its still contingent on Charlotte panicking on Vonleh but that FO doesnt have a sterling track record so Id say its wort a shot.

[Who]

How many dynamic scorers are there in the whole league at the 3, 4, and 5?  It's such a guard centric league in terms of volume scorers.

SF:
- Lebron
- Durant
- Melo
- George
- Hayward
- Gay (I guess)

I think Tobias Harris should be added to that list.

Among realistic options, I've got my fingers crossed for Tobias Harris.  He's 22 and has looked like a budding All-Star at times despite playing for some lousy organizations.  Can play 4 in smaller lineups as well.

Problem is of course that Orlando can match, but if they draft another wing they may decide for the cheap route of building around him and Gordon.

Can Tobias Harris actually defend the wing, though?  He's always seemed like he'd be best utilized as a smaller 4 playing next to a larger center (one who can defend the paint).

I haven't been high on Harris in the past but he has grown a lot on me over the last year.  I have been impressed with Harris' improved outside shooting. Makes it a lot easier to play him at SF now.

I rank Harris around 20th amongst starting SFs defensively. So below par but acceptable enough. I like his physical strength and size in combating bigger more powerful wings. I think he is an above average defender against those types of players. Below average against quicker wings (more 2/3s) who can attack off the dribble. Orlando's bad team defense makes T.Harris look worse than he is. He will look better defensively in a strong defensive system. I think Harris can improve and become a middle of the pack defender over next few years. I'd rate him as a top 10 offensive SF and top 10 rebounding SF.

I think Harris is a borderline top 10 starting SF and is still improving.

[Who]

It starts with Monroe, that's the guy we need to get.

I agree. Monroe is my #1 target.

I don't think the Celtics are an attractive enough situation to get one of the established top stars like Marc Gasol or LaMarcus Aldridge. I think Monroe is the best up and coming star in the market and should be Boston's #1 priority.

Monroe lacks the tools to be a top defensive C but he has always had the tools to be an average to good defensive C. This year, Monroe finally started to show real commitment and improvement to the defensive side of his game. I was getting discouraged with his lack of progress in recent seasons but I am excited about this new maturity and understanding he has adding to his game. His focus and purposefulness has improved dramatically from previous years. Hard cuts, strong screens, attacking the glass more consistently. He is moving on from talented young guy to a real pro.

[Vox_Populi]

He's right.  Personally I think it'll come in the form of a SF.  How we get him, I'm not sure.

Kevin Durant. Nice idea.

[Lucky17]

Would Ersan Ilyasova at PF complement Greg Monroe at C?

[Ilikesports17]

Ive always been against Monroe and Harris but a little digging has changed my mind.

Monroe, I believe was hurt by playing next to Drummond. This forced Monroe to guard quicker 4s and also it put his offensive weaknesses on full display. If he plays C for us I think he can be a good C, though still a poor defender.

With Harris Ive always just not been a big fan of his. I felt like his stats were largely a product of being a go-to guy on a bad team but I did not think he was 22. At 22 he could realistically grow into a really good player. Also, I know Lebron made him his Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. but I love that he challenged him.

Middleton I am also a huge fan of. He is just 24, shoot lights out from 3 and plays terrific defense.


Obviously Id preger Butler, Gasol, Aldridge, Leonard but thats highly unlikely.

If we can grab 2 of 3 of these guys that could be really big for us.

I also like Robin Lopez if he comes at the right price.

These guys are very good players with high ceilings for what you might call 2nd/3rd tier FA's

Im getting a little more optimistic about this offseason with each passing day.

[chambers]

It's going to be hard to get anyone but he could go down the route of going half old/half young.
Not a cement line up but something like:

-Khris Middleton (max $16 million)
-Paul Millsap( $14-$15 million)
-Rim protector ie: I'm not the biggest fan of a declining Tyson Chandler, but at $12-14 million for 3 or 4 years he'd be okay solid 12 point /10 rebound value with some great rim protection and a veteran presence for the playoffs+development. Keep his minutes down with Zeller off the bench playing 20 minutes a night so he's fresh for the playoffs.

We'll still have plenty of money when the cap goes up to $108 million. Even if we paid all those guys a total of $45 million we are still left with $63 million to spend on who we want to keep of Smart, Sully, Olynk and other free agents.

Adding Millsap and making Sully come off the bench would give Sullinger a reality check before we are due to make the qualifying offer to him.

I think we need to get a solid team around Smart now while he's cheap because our current roster is just role players and bench guys for the majority.

-Send Wallace out for a pick to Philly to get the extra cap room.

PG: Smart
SG: Bradley
SF:Middleton
PF: Millsap
C: Chandler

Bench
-Sullinger
-Olynyk
-Crowder
-KJ McDaniels
-Zeller
-Jerebko as combo forward bench/hustle guy.
-Rookie
-Rookie

-Develop a rookie big man and rookie wing scorer with high upside.
-Sign McDaniels to a value offer (shouldn't be too hot on the market after not getting any playoff time on a depleted Rockets team, not sure why they traded for him) and let him battle Crowder for the starting SF until another free agent comes up.

With our great coach and some solid development from Smart, Sully and Olynyk.

I'd love Aldridge instead of Millsap and Middleton but that's unlikely.

[Who]

Would Ersan Ilyasova at PF complement Greg Monroe at C?

I don't think Ilyasova is an upgrade on Celtics current options. I think he is on a similar level as Bass or Jerebko. I think Sully is better than Ilyasova.

I think you want a strong defender alongside Monroe. I wouldn't be as pushed on that defender being a shot-blocker as others are but I would want an otherwise well-rounded defensive player. Ilyasova is one of the weaker man-to-man defenders in the league at that starting PF position. His team defense is fair but doesn't make up for his weak man defense.

[Lucky17]

Would Ersan Ilyasova at PF complement Greg Monroe at C?

I don't think Ilyasova is an upgrade on Celtics current options. I think he is on a similar level as Bass or Jerebko. I think Sully is better than Ilyasova.

I think you want a strong defender alongside Monroe. I wouldn't be as pushed on that defender being a shot-blocker as others are but I would want an otherwise well-rounded defensive player. Ilyasova is one of the weaker man-to-man defenders in the league at that starting PF position. His team defense is fair but doesn't make up for his weak man defense.

I haven't seen much of Ilyasova lately, although I thought he'd be better at this point in his career. Perhaps a result of the multi-season rebuilding efforts in Milwaukee.

I did notice that Ilyasova's contract has two years left, with the second one virtually entirely nonguaranteed (all but $400K). An interesting trade chip come this time next year.

[SHAQATTACK]

It starts with Monroe, that's the guy we need to get.

I don't think the Celtics are an attractive enough situation to get one of the established top stars like Marc Gasol or LaMarcus Aldridge.

I think this,is,a,KEY point .....that may reflect how things could turn out .......going for a pair of FA's instead of lower tier fringe stars ...which is a stop gap to,a contender.   

Getting a Gasol or Aldridge alone very unlikely ....superstars want to play with at least one other star .

If DA does sign a star .....more than likey it will be TWO at once ......two who will want to start a core together
I think to dump Wallace ....to be able to,sign sign TWO big names .....needs to have room to ensure max contracts for each star.

If ...Danny can 'to put together a pair of star FA 's


I think their maybe a couple FA stars that could be talked into
Leaving their teams ......iF ......Danny can find the right pair to buy into the Celtics

I'm hoping Boogie Cousin could be a part of a next big TWO .....to become the next big THree

[BudweiserCeltic]

It starts with Monroe, that's the guy we need to get.

I agree. Monroe is my #1 target.

I don't think the Celtics are an attractive enough situation to get one of the established top stars like Marc Gasol or LaMarcus Aldridge. I think Monroe is the best up and coming star in the market and should be Boston's #1 priority.

Monroe lacks the tools to be a top defensive C but he has always had the tools to be an average to good defensive C. This year, Monroe finally started to show real commitment and improvement to the defensive side of his game. I was getting discouraged with his lack of progress in recent seasons but I am excited about this new maturity and understanding he has adding to his game. His focus and purposefulness has improved dramatically from previous years. Hard cuts, strong screens, attacking the glass more consistently. He is moving on from talented young guy to a real pro.

Agreed... though I'm warming up a bit to the idea of Aldridge. Looked around and there really aren't many opportunities out there for a team to offer $19 or so million this season. So there's a bit of a chance there.

Even then, I'm not sure if I'd still prefer going with the younger Monroe, and cheaper at that.

The thing with Portland though is that they have a lot of player hitting free-agency, so they're in a bit of a catch-22. I'm sure Aldridge wants some assurances before agreeing to remain, and I'm sure Portland doesn't want to spend lavishly without a guarantee of Aldridge stays... so it'll be a bit tricky for them.

We'll see.

I'm still crossing my fingers with Monroe, I think he'd be good for us.

[LarBrd33]

We have like 23 mil in cap space (not including Bass/Crowder/Jerebko)... so unless we start clearing the books (Wallace, Thomas, Bradley), we probably can only land one significant free agent.   I'm in favor of clearing the books and trying to sell 2 or 3 guys on joining forces. 

We probably don't have to proactively clear the books prior to talking to free agents, though.  We can sell players on joining forces and once we have them on board, we can maybe sign one flat-out (Kevin Love would take up pretty much all our cap space by himself) and then bring in the other guy via sign-and-trade.

[crimson_stallion]

I'm really liking the idea of Tobias Harris and Greg Monroe this offseason.

I think it's something we could probably make happen financially, it gives us a chance to get two potential future stars on very decent long-term contracts, and I like the fact that both are still very young (so they have years to develop together with the rest of our guys.

I also think that those two guys combined with our already existing stack of young prospects might be enough to convince a significant free agent to want to come here in the next season or two. 

DeAndre Jordan and Tobias Harris would also be a nice combination, but I think Monroe is far more obtainable.  Clippers have a talented team, and I don't think they are likely to let Jordan walk - nor do I think he's likely to want to.

[LarBrd33]

Harris would be cool.  Orlando will match, though.

[greece66]

Most ppl on Reddit took the "Ainge want players with a knack for scoring late in games" statement as a hidden suggestion that Danny wants PP back lol