Knueppel with 3 big games in a row

* 24pts 6reb 5ast
* 20pts 12reb
* 30pts 8reb

On the season, 2/3rds of his shots come form 3. He is shooting 40.5% from three. 44% FG overall. His TS% is 60.2%. 16.4ppg and 6.0rpg 2.3apg. 31.6mpg.

Tatum is our best player and our best rebounder ? getting him back will make things seem a lot more hopeful.

IMO they need to:

1. Decide on the starting PG spot: If they?re really committing to PP being their starting PG for this next iteration of a run, then they need to trade Simons for something.

2. Acquire a starting C: Queta as a backup and Garza as a 3rd big is totally fine for the time being.

3. Develop young talent: Continue investing minutes in Minott, Walsh, and Gonzalez. All of them are very athletic dudes and the first one that can find his shot will likely become a rotation player in the next version of things.

I think the point is at the time that Scheierman was drafted, what was the immediate need?  Plenty of people were saying that BOS needed another shooter.  A prospect big to replace Horford some time in the future was not the priority.  Now it turned out that Scheierman did not help the team.  Scheierman has not even lived up to the limited expectation of a 30th pick.  But was the philosophy of picking a player you hoped could help now the wrong philosophy?  The player you hoped was more NBA ready?

I really think it can be a wrong philosophy, if you don't take into account basic athletic ability.   Guys have succeeded with all levels of athletic ability in the NBA.   I think wings and guards are generally speaking the most athletic guys.  Picking a guy who doesn't have foot speed at these positions is not good judgment.  You can't get open, you can stay in front of your man and etc., etc.

The amount of importance this franchise has given to bigs in the post Bird Era is very low and has always been disappointing.   Ainge got KG and he was the last great big we have had.    Al was a good big and more than serviceable.   Neemias shows promise.   But how many times do we have to get destroyed by other teams with size, before someone realizes it?

You need to have some rim protecting and rebounding to play any style of basketball effectively.

Dallas have switched Cooper Flagg back to forward for the last 2 games. Last night was a blowout loss to Memphis. The night before a loss to a New Orleans team without Zion (or J Poole or Y Missi). Not good.

The Mavs are hurting with injuries at the moment. Both AD and D Lively are out injured. Kyrie of course is still out. Also, they have benched Klay Thompson. Initially to put D-Lo into the starting lineup instead of Klay but now Max Christie is also starting ahead of Klay.

G: D Russell, Brandon Williams, R Nembhard
G: Max Christie, K Thompson
F: C Flagg, Naji Marshall
F: PJ Washington, Caleb Martin
C: D Gafford, D Powell

The big man rotation is light without AD & Lively.

Cooper Flagg's impact has continued to be light. I think Lively is clearly the Mavs 3rd most important player at the moment for how he impacts their defense & rebounding. It isn't clear to me that Flagg is any more important to Dallas than PJ Washington or even Naji Marshall. I think those 3 guys are the next 3 most important players on the roster (4th-7th). Then Gafford. Then either Klay and Max Christie.

I would have liked to have seen Flagg show more now that he has been switched back to his proper position at forward. Especially with AD out. No go-to guy for the Mavs. Good opportunity for Flagg. He had a good game against New Orleans but dropped off again against Memphis.

AD is day to day. So once he comes back and gets all his mid-to-high post isos it will be more difficult for Flagg to get offensive opportunities. Especially if Dallas continues the double big configuration. Even more so if they continue to start PJ Washington alongside C Flagg on the wing which is what I expect them to do.

Flagg is struggling to find his place right now. Not showing the level of talent he actually has.

Dallas struggling too. Now 2 wins 7 losses.

The Moneyball Mandate: Why the Celtics' Path Back to Contention Runs Through the 2025 Season

We need to stop thinking about the Boston Celtics' payroll as a salary cap. For the foreseeable future, we should think of it as a moneybag.

There?s only so much you can fit inside, and right now, it?s bulging at the seams with the supermax deals of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Every other dollar, every other contract, must be scrutinized not just for its on-court value, but for its efficiency within that finite moneybag. The goal isn't to just fill out a roster; it's to maximize the value of every single cent surrounding our two stars.

And that is why the focus for the remainder of this 2025 season should shift decisively away from chasing a play-in spot and toward a strategic, long-term vision. This season is no longer about winning games; it's about winning the future.

The Grim Reality of the Cap Sheet

Let's be blunt: as currently constructed, this team is not a contender. We are, optimistically, two high-level starters away from seriously challenging for the Eastern Conference crown again. The most glaring need is a bona fide starting-caliber big man, followed by one more dynamic, two-way player who can create his own shot.

The problem? We lack the two key currencies to acquire such players: premium assets and financial flexibility. Our draft picks are few and far between, and the moneybag is stuffed with contracts that provide diminishing returns. We are stuck in the dreaded "middle," too good to bottom out naturally, but not good enough to matter in May.

The Silver Lining: A Glimmer in the Youth Movement

Amidst a frustrating season, a potential path forward is emerging from the shadows of the bench. The development of Jaycee Hugo and the recent flashes from Jamal Minott are not just pleasant surprises; they are potential lifelines.

Hugo has shown a defensive tenacity and a budding offensive game that suggests a reliable 3-and-D wing. Minott, with his athleticism and energy, looks like he could be a disruptive force. Even Jordan Walsh, who many had written off, is showing signs of life, reminding us why he was a coveted prospect. His potential resurrection is a bonus this team desperately needs.

These players are crucial for one simple reason: they are cheap, controllable, and have a higher ceiling than the veterans blocking their path.

The Hardest Pill to Swallow: Moving On from Hauser

This brings us to the toughest, but most necessary, decision: Sam Hauser has become a luxury this team can no longer afford.

Let's be clear: Sam Hauser is a good NBA player. He is one of the best pure shooters in the league and will always be a solid backup wing. But we have learned, definitively, that he is not a starter. He is a specialist, and on his current contract, he is a prime candidate for what I call "positive value redundancy."

We have cheaper, younger backup wing options in Hugo and Minott who, while less proven, possess higher defensive ceilings and more diverse athletic tools. Hauser?s $2+ million salary and proven skill set make him a valuable trade chip for a contender. For us, he is a roadblock to both financial flexibility and the development of potentially better, certainly cheaper, alternatives.

The Prescription for "Ethical Tanking" and the 2026 Payoff

The plan for the second half of the season is clear and involves a painful but purposeful pivot:

Trade Hauser and Simons: The front office must package Hauser and Simons' salaries in a deal designed for one purpose: to offload money and get under the luxury tax. The return is almost secondary; the primary goal is to clear future cap space and reset our financial clock. If we can get a future second-round pick or a trade exception, consider it a win.
Embrace the Losing Streak: These moves will, without a doubt, make the team worse in the short term. The Celtics will naturally fall below .500. And that's okay. This isn't the blatant, "shut-down-everyone" tanking that fans despise. This is "ethical tanking"?prioritizing player development and financial health over fleeting, meaningless wins.
Unleash the Young Wings: With Hauser and Simons gone, 30+ minutes a night become available. Those minutes must be funneled directly to Hugo, Minott, and Walsh. Let them play through mistakes. Let them learn on the job. Let them develop chemistry with each other and the core.
And here is the glorious payoff for enduring one down year:

By executing this strategy, the Celtics would enter the 2026 offseason armed for a major comeback. We would likely have:

A Top-10 Draft Pick: Our own, high-value selection to add a blue-chip prospect on a cost-controlled rookie contract.
$20+ Million in Cap Space: The financial flexibility to aggressively pursue a free-agent starting center or that second high-level starter.
All Our Future Draft Packs: A full war chest of assets to use in trades, something we currently lack.
Suddenly, those two glaring holes?the starting big man and the additional talented player?are no longer impossible to fill. We could address one with the cap space and the other with the high draft pick, all while having a developed core of young, affordable wings.

The Vision is Clear

The 2025 season was never going to be the one where we hung banner 18. But by managing the moneybag wisely today, it can be the season that laid the foundation for the next true contender. A core of Tatum and Brown, a cohort of developed young talent, a top draft pick, and significant cap space is a package that can vault us right back into the East's elite.

The future starts now, and it starts with making the tough, smart moves today. A little short-term pain for that kind of long-term gain isn't just advisable?it's essential.