Could this team compete for it all?

[Future Celtics Owner]

We would be much better off picking Adrian Payne at 17 in that situation.

[aingeforthree]

Yes, that team easily competes for a title. It would bring another 'big three' to the dance & the key to the three is already here in Rajon Rondo. He's the QB on that team & easily brings out the best in Melo & Love. He's also great for Asik's game as well.

The compliments on that team are championship worthy. Now can it be built ? With the plethora of draft picks Ainge has accumulated, anything is possible.

[chambers]

#17 warren?

Rondo-fa-Pressey
Bradley-Bayless?-?
Melo-Warren-Johnson
Love-Olynk-Jones
Asik-Olynk-Fav

So does this team compete for a title or not? I would think so. At least eastern conference finals.

I agree with you that this probably won't happen, but assuming it somehow does...No.  this team does not compete for the finals.  I'm just looking at matchups against the top three seeds from this years EC playoffs.

Defensively:

• no one to cover Hibbert/West (Asik isn't big enough)
• no one to cover LeBron (Melo can't, and Bradley's too small)
• no one to cover Derozan(see above)
• no defense coming off the bench

Offensively:

• Miami and Indy have an answer for Melo
• Miami and Indy have an answer for Love
• not enough speed on the break

[/b]

This team is better than what the Celtics put on the floor last year, but they still have second round exit written all over them.  There is no backup for Melo except for a rookie. 

Wait, is that Terrence Jones you stole from the Rockets along with Asik?  And you have him playing BEHIND Olynyk?  Really?  You do realize he started 71 games for Houston this year, right? 

Ok, in this highly unlikely scenario, you do have defense coming off the bench in the frontcourt.  if you can spin Olynyk into a quality backcourt bench player with size, then you might have something.     If you assume that a leader will emerge and that the others will follow him.  Rondo seems likely a candidate only because he's won in the NBA and worked with veterans who know how to do things the right way.  But....

I'd actually (respectfully) disagree with a few points in your analysis. I do agree with some though, but for arguments sake I'd say...

*Asik would have no problem guarding Hibbert, he's got the length and strength to guard him straight up and contest rebounds very well. In fact with Asik and Love vs Hibbert and West I think we crush them on the boards.

*If we went small, and the Pacers wanted to stay big, they'd have serious trouble defending a smallball line up of Love and Melo bringing Hibbert away from the basket. This works because the Pacers offense isn't uptempo enough to take and make as many shots as we could in a scenario with Love and Melo vs Hibbert and West banging in the paint.

*Paul George would get killed by Melo, being backed down in the paint with Melo at the 4 and I don't believe would have a problem guarding George or Lebron. Lebron's even cited Paul George and Melo as the two best defenders that have guarded him in the NBA. (That was before this years finals where Kwahi did a great job, but still.)

* West would have to come way out to the perimeter to guard Love, and both Melo or Asik could guard West.

*Rondo and Carmelo could guard DeRozan, but we'd also probably have to bring in a defensive wing specialist to cover guys like Paul George and DeRozan/ Lebron when they rest in the playoffs. (Perhaps bring Corey Brewer over with Love?).

*Speed on the break with Bradley, Rondo, Melo, Love and Asik is is fine.
Carmelo and Bradley would be great at running the lanes ala Pierce and Ray. And hopefully Avery's shooting would hopefully hold at over 40% from three. Remember Carmelo's Knicks team in 2012-13 that hit an insane amount of threes with Kidd, Melo and Felton that broke the record for threes?
We'd also have Love running the lanes as another target for Rondo in transition. Asik can hustle from basket to basket with no problem too- he grabs a lot of boards that way in the Rockets system.

*I don't think Indy and Miami necessarily have an answer for both Love and Melo AND Rondo on the court at the same time.
They'd have to put Lebron on Melo, Bosh on Love and Rondo would create havoc against chumps like Chalmers- Although Miami will probably try and upgrade at the PG after they were exposed during this recent NBA finals.

I agree we'd need more defense off the bench, but we can run bench line ups through Melo and Love, and hopefully Olynyk or Sully (whichever we keep).

Just wasn't as pessimistic about the suggested team in this post because I think although there may be defensive questions vs Lebron or DeRozan, I think we pose an even bigger threat with a duo of Carmelo and Love and their stretch ability.

[showtime]

I don't think this will happen but if it did could this team compete for a title? While it would be tough to put together it is possible. Melo is going to opt out so we could sign him in fa. I don't think the fact that he played for New York affects the situation at all. We would have to free up space for the move. Wallace would have to go, I imagine a couple firsts will have to be attached. We could send bogans bass and the t/e to Houston for Asik and jones. This gives Houston the ability to use the t/e towards a big time player. We make the push for love by offering #6  Sullinger, green, clippers 2015, Boston 2015. This lets Minnesota still have a decent team green and Sullinger would be good fits for them and they add a possible all star talent at #6. Sign Bradley to his qo. We go into next year looking like

#17 warren?

Rondo-fa-Pressey
Bradley-Bayless?-?
Melo-Warren-Johnson
Love-Olynk-Jones
Asik-Olynk-Fav


So does this team compete for a title or not? I would think so. At least eastern conference finals.

I don't see how we get that team, but if we did i think we become instant contenders for a title.  No way Houston gives up jones, so i would resign Hump. I think he's better than Jones anyway.  I wouldn't draft Warren, instead i would take Young or Harriston,both great shooters who can space the floor for Melo and Love. A bench of Hump, KO, Bayless, Fav, Young or Harriston would be a pretty strong bench.  If we get lucky Young or Harriston could be starting by mid season and AB would come off the bench.  I think teams would worry more about how they match up with us, than we would worry about how we match up with them.

[BballTim]

#17 warren?

Rondo-fa-Pressey
Bradley-Bayless?-?
Melo-Warren-Johnson
Love-Olynk-Jones
Asik-Olynk-Fav

So does this team compete for a title or not? I would think so. At least eastern conference finals.

I agree with you that this probably won't happen, but assuming it somehow does...No.  this team does not compete for the finals.  I'm just looking at matchups against the top three seeds from this years EC playoffs.

Defensively:

• no one to cover Hibbert/West (Asik isn't big enough)
• no one to cover LeBron (Melo can't, and Bradley's too small)
• no one to cover Derozan(see above)
• no defense coming off the bench

Offensively:

• Miami and Indy have an answer for Melo
• Miami and Indy have an answer for Love
• not enough speed on the break

  If it were only that easy. Miami and Indy might have an answer for Love or Melo (not really, but say they do for the purpose of discussion) but they're less likely to have an answer for Melo *and* Love. Even if you thought they did, they really don't have an answer for Rondo, let alone all three of them.

[Chris22]

Keep the picks, trade Rondo for Hayward.

[scotto1205]

Ok so hmmm. A better depth chart would look like


Rondo-Miller-Pressey
Bradley-Hairston-Bayless
Melo-Warren-Brewer?
Love-Jones-KO
Asik-KO-Fav