Plan A: Run It Back

[erisred]

There are a lot of Celtics fans who think that if the Celtics retain almost all of the roster they will be able to compete for the Championship next year. Let's look at the depth chart if we do "run it back." I'm going to leave out the china-men from this and I'll have comments below.

PG: Rondo, (and maybe no Rondo first half season)
SG: , one or two of Terry/Bradley/Lee/Crawford
SF: Pierce, Green
PF: Bass, Sully
C:  KG, , Melo

KG is correct, it's going to take more than adding one player for this to work. To make "running it back" work Danny is going to have to sign:

1 PG who is almost starter quality
1 SG who *is* starter quality
1 C who is almost starter quality

About the SG. I know some of you are going to argue that Bradley is the good enough to be the starter at SG...sorry, it's clear to me that he isn't. Bradley is going to be a good backup at SG. Lee is a pretty good backup SG. Terry is a okay backup SG. Crawford is a prospect that won't pan out.

The backup PG and C have been needed for two years now, and both will have to be filled if that team is going to compete.

Now, given the salaries, ages, the single 16th pick,and what Danny has to work with on the roster, can you come up with a way to get those three guys the C's need while keeping Rondo/Pierce/Green/Bass/Sully/KG/ and one or two of the SG's we currently have?

I can't see him doing it, can you? How?

[Celtics4ever]

With Sully coming back I think we need a SG almost as bad as we need a big if not worse.

We are not winning crap if we bring it back.   Guys will be older and slower.  With the 2014 draft being hailed as the best in a while, I bet DA isn't done trying to set up himself for it.  A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link and our links are getting rusty with time.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/06/andrew-wiggins-kansas-dunk-vide

Notice how easily he dunks it and his arm isn't even extended.

[esel1000]

The only way running it back is worth it at all is if you get another all star caliber player here to take the load off the older guys.

So the offense would run around Rondo, Green, an all star, Sully, etc, with guys like KG as complimentary pieces.

I'm thinking Josh Smith. But I don't think we have the cap room if we run it back.

I'd rather begin a rebuild. I feel like we aren't winning a championship regardless

[Who]

With Sully coming back I think we need a SG almost as bad as we need a big if not worse.

I am not ready to give up A.Bradley as the team's starting two guard yet. I want to see how he plays with Rondo next to him before making a decision on Bradley. Playing alongside Rondo helped Bradley so much last year.

[SHAQATTACK]

With Sully coming back I think we need a SG almost as bad as we need a big if not worse.

I am not ready to give up A.Bradley as the team's starting two guard yet. I want to see how he plays with Rondo next to him before making a decision on Bradley. Playing alongside Rondo helped Bradley so much last year.

I think AB will be fully healthy once again, and hopefully will regain his shooting touch ,  look forward to seeing him and Rondo paired up  once again.   I know he is short , but they still compliment each others play in unique ways.   AB keeps Rondos motor running .   

AB , Rondo and Green , Twill , and will Sully rebounding could set up nice fast breaks.
 they won't win a banner , but I 'll cheer them all on as usual.

[Surferdad]

With Sully coming back I think we need a SG almost as bad as we need a big if not worse.

I am not ready to give up A.Bradley as the team's starting two guard yet. I want to see how he plays with Rondo next to him before making a decision on Bradley. Playing alongside Rondo helped Bradley so much last year.

I think AB will be fully healthy once again, and hopefully will regain his shooting touch ,  look forward to seeing him and Rondo paired up  once again.   I know he is short , but they still compliment each others play in unique ways.   AB keeps Rondos motor running .   

AB , Rondo and Green , Twill , and will Sully rebounding could set up nice fast breaks.
 they won't win a banner , but I 'll cheer them all on as usual.

That's a great future core.  With the vets KG & PP they can compete with one more piece like Smith, but doesn't seem financially possible.

[tyrone biggums]

With Sully coming back I think we need a SG almost as bad as we need a big if not worse.

We are not winning crap if we bring it back.   Guys will be older and slower.  With the 2014 draft being hailed as the best in a while, I bet DA isn't done trying to set up himself for it.  A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link and our links are getting rusty with time.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/06/andrew-wiggins-kansas-dunk-vide

Notice how easily he dunks it and his arm isn't even extended.

Eh I wouldn't say that. So for instance some how the Celtics add Smith to the core and have KG play center. Or everyone's favorite player, Big Al. I don't think we can say a team can or cannot compete for a title before the offseason really starts.

[Celtics4ever]

I am not ready to give up A.Bradley as the team's starting two guard yet. I want to see how he plays with Rondo next to him before making a decision on Bradley. Playing alongside Rondo helped Bradley so much last year.

I feel so much better, your not giving up.  But fact remains he can't play point and he can't shoot.  He is at best a pesky defender.  We need some one who the D respects and spreads the floor otherwise the D will pack it in.   Bradley is not that guy.

[BleedGreen1989]

I am not ready to give up A.Bradley as the team's starting two guard yet. I want to see how he plays with Rondo next to him before making a decision on Bradley. Playing alongside Rondo helped Bradley so much last year.

I feel so much better, your not giving up.  But fact remains he can't play point and he can't shoot.  He is at best a pesky defender.  We need some one who the D respects and spreads the floor otherwise the D will pack it in.   Bradley is not that guy.

Curious as to why you say he "can't shoot"?

While he may never be a sharpshooter, it's a little premature to say a 22 year old is a finished product. He has shown the ability to shoot.

[Who]

I am not ready to give up A.Bradley as the team's starting two guard yet. I want to see how he plays with Rondo next to him before making a decision on Bradley. Playing alongside Rondo helped Bradley so much last year.

I feel so much better, your not giving up.  But fact remains he can't play point and he can't shoot.  He is at best a pesky defender.  We need some one who the D respects and spreads the floor otherwise the D will pack it in.   Bradley is not that guy.

I thought Bradley shot the ball fairly well from the corners and he is a good shooter from 18-22 feet at the top of the key and elbows extended.

It was tough to get Avery Bradley good opportunities from those corner spots when he was at the PG position. He was at the top of the key all the time initiating the offense (edit: and a higher proportion of shots off the dribble versus spot-up shot attempts he got at SG). Created bad scoring opportunities for him. Made Bradley take shots he is less effective at.

I would like to see Bradley alongside Rondo again so that he can go back to receiving the type of scoring / jump-shooting opportunities that he does well with. So that he can spend more time in the corners rather than the top of the key.

[More Banners]

I am not ready to give up A.Bradley as the team's starting two guard yet. I want to see how he plays with Rondo next to him before making a decision on Bradley. Playing alongside Rondo helped Bradley so much last year.

I feel so much better, your not giving up.  But fact remains he can't play point and he can't shoot.  He is at best a pesky defender.  We need some one who the D respects and spreads the floor otherwise the D will pack it in.   Bradley is not that guy.

I thought Bradley shot the ball fairly well from the corners and he is a good shooter from 18-22 feet at the top of the key and elbows extended.

It was tough to get Avery Bradley good opportunities from those corner spots when he was at the PG position. He was at the top of the key all the time initiating the offense. Created bad scoring opportunities for him. Made him take shots he is less effective at.

I would like to see Bradley alongside Rondo again so that he can go back to receiving the type of scoring / jump-shooting opportunities that he does well with. So that he can spend more time in the corners rather than the top of the key.

Well, yes to all of that, but after seeing him on his own, I'm pretty convinced that Bradley's best spot is as a backup combo guard.  I'm pretty sold on Bass as a permanent backup PF, too.  At least that's where I see them both on contenders, though Bass hustled his rear off against NYK in that series.

Here's what I see in a run-it-back:

Rondo/Williams/
***/Bradley
JGreen/Pierce
Sully/Bass
KG/***

So to me, Darko would've been a near-perfect player this past year as a minutes-eater backup C to KG.

And if anyone thinks Pierce can play at a star-level at SG, then we're really only a backup C and wing away...plus health...

But I don't think so.  Pierce is working at the role-playing Grant Hill stage of his career, putting up good, efficient numbers on a pretty consistent basis, but as a role player.  I'd rather he come of the bench, and he should, as 6th man.

If the MLE goes to Dalembert or equivalent, we just need to find an allstar SG for the minimum, and we're set.

While everyone is drooling over the 2014 draft, how about trading it for THAT player, the now-and-future #1 option?

Because that's the piece I think we need to run it back and have a shot in 2014.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

I am all for running it back, but as KG said after the season end, we need some help.

But we really need a Center. If KG is coming back, he can't be our Center. We need someone who can be the last line of defense as KG cannot do it anymore. Gortat is my guy, I don't know who's yours.

At this point I'm willing to trade our young assets in Bradley and Sully to acquire such a guy. If we're running it back then it scraps rebuilding, but having Rondo, Green and Gortat as a starting core is not so bad.

And lastly, Paul has to go off the bench. We gotta give Jeff Green the mantle now.

Rondo, Lee, Green, KG, Gortat with Terry, Bass and Pierce as your bench group is a playoff contender. Add some smart signings and provided that everyone stays healthy, and we get the real Courtney Lee and Jason Terry, we have a contender.

[eugen]

Get Billups till Rondo get back(or trade him after that)

[Surferdad]

I am all for running it back, but as KG said after the season end, we need some help.

But we really need a Center. If KG is coming back, he can't be our Center. We need someone who can be the last line of defense as KG cannot do it anymore. Gortat is my guy, I don't know who's yours.

At this point I'm willing to trade our young assets in Bradley and Sully to acquire such a guy. If we're running it back then it scraps rebuilding, but having Rondo, Green and Gortat as a starting core is not so bad.

And lastly, Paul has to go off the bench. We gotta give Jeff Green the mantle now.

Rondo, Lee, Green, KG, Gortat with Terry, Bass and Pierce as your bench group is a playoff contender. Add some smart signings and provided that everyone stays healthy, and we get the real Courtney Lee and Jason Terry, we have a contender.

That all makes some sense, but you see thing is, I don't see that team winning a championship. I would just as soon begin the rebuilding.