No. I think the opposite actually. If Danny thought the team was truly ready to win a title he wouldn't have hesitated to go into the luxury tax and use all the exceptions. The fact that he avoided the tax like the plague says to me that he doesn't think the team is truly ready to win a title and thus he didn't want to start the tax clock ticking on a team that wasn't likely to win the title. He isn't giving up on the season and the Celtics clearly have a very good shot at coming out of the East, but when you have exceptions and there are players out there that could help, and you don't use them, that says a lot.
Which players where out there this summer that you think would have been worth going into the luxury tax for?
If I thought this team could realistically win a title, any number of players could have been added that would have strengthened the bench, especially at the PF and C positions. Ilyasova comes immediately to mind. Heck bringing back Amir Johnson would have made sense or going with Lopez, McDermott or countless other guys that are the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th big on this team (not to mention Cousins, a simple phone call and he might have been a Celtic). Getting another great shooter for the bench like Belinelli or Curry would have made a lot of sense as well.
But you see, when you aren't all that close, those players aren't worth signing. That is the point I was making.
Even if money and luxury tax were not an issue, I just don't see any of those guys getting regular minutes under Stevens with the depth we already have.
Lopez would be used the way Monroe was last year due to his defensive limitations. Stevens relies on centers that can rotate quickly and hit threes. Lopez would not play over Theiss and Baynes. Amir Johnson was on his last legs when he was here before. He's even more useless now. Stevens had a hard time keeping him in back then.
Ilyasova, McDermott and Belinelli would not get minutes in our crowded rotation either. Who would they take minutes from? Tatum, Hayward and Morris, or Smart, Brown and Rozier? Is that worth going over the cap for? Would that make any difference in the playoffs when rotations generally get even shorter?
I think Ainge is fully willing to use the exceptions we have left and go into the luxury tax if a player worth using it on becomes available. It might happen after the trade deadline.
Ilyasova is a PF. He probably is the 2nd best big man on the team if he was signed. He is the perfect stretch 4 for this team. He was absolutely available at a reasonable price. He is exactly the type of player that would be in the regular rotation with an important role. But he isn't going to elevate any team very much, so you don't sign him and go into the luxury tax to sign him.
We all know by now, Stevens doesn't run the team that way. In his mind, there are no 'power forwards'. There are bigs, swings, and ball handlers. He uses one big, who can rotate well and shoot from the outside, and many swings. Ersan would be a swing, as he could never function defensively as a big, and would not take minutes from the other swings on this squad as his defense and perimeter shooting are inferior to the other rotation swings.
so Horford is a swing? I mean him and Baynes started and played a good amount of minutes together?
Such an interesting discussion.
Who are Boston's swings? Morris, Ojeleye, and Tatum.
I don't think that Tatum is getting his due for his defensive versatility. He guards up and down, uses his length, and his anticipation is beyond his years. On offense he's a matchup nightmare whether he's a wing or a swing. That helps his defense because you can't put a slow big on him. He's as effective at wing as swing - that's huge for next year, because you can put Brown on the toughest wing cover to save Hayward's energy for the fourth.
By far, the most used lineup last season was with two bigs, Tatum and Brown at wings, and either Irving or Rozier. But big/swing lineups with either Morris or Tatum at swing were next.
For Morris it was a "tale of two seasons", coming back too early; and only after being shut down the second time was he effective. Later in the year, he found himself at wing in two-big lineups, including a fair number of minutes in a super-sized lineup of Baynes/Horford/Morris/Tatum/Rozier. But by far his most minutes were at swing.
Like Brad Stevens, I'm "A big Semi guy". Like Morris, Ojeleye played most of him minutes at swing, taking advantage of injuries to stay in the rotation. At 241, he's the biggest of the swings, has great lower body strength - but also the quickness of a quick wing. We saw intriguing flashes of skill with the ball and finishing last year. Players usually show their biggest improvement after year 1, so we have good reason to hope that he really shows something this year.
So, what about adding Ilyasova?
First of all, I think he's a better defensive player than given credit for in this thread. He did a good job on Horford in the playoffs, for one thing. My scouting is basically: good all-around player with no glaring weaknesses and no outstanding strengths. I think that Moranis' idea of signing him for a championship run is a sound idea. He's reliable, consistent; as the old cliche goes, "you know what you're going to get." Low mistakes, spreads the floor, stays in his lane.
On the other hand, isn't the position filled already? With Hayward returning, Tatum figures to get more of a look at swing; swing is pretty much what Morris does on the team; and Ojeleye, with his ample promise and cost control, makes for an ideal backup. On the whole, I'd say that the "veteran bench player" that you'd be getting by signing Ilyasova is already on the team in Marcus Morris.
Topic: Do Danny's moves this summer indicate he thinks we are ready? (Read 8282 times)