Who is going to fill out our roster!?

[Mr October]

All the Celtics need to do to give them a shot at the title is:

1. Resign Ray
2. Resign Tony (or find another defensive wing, or better yet, a shooter)
3. Let Perkins get healthy
4. Sign a center like Big Ben, Shaq, etc.

There's your core of 8-9 players.

[Jeff]

the thing that concerns me is that a lot of teams will need to fill out their roster with cheap talent - teams like Chicago and Miami come to mind - I think the better talent might want to ride those trains instead of ours

[Jon]

All the Celtics need to do to give them a shot at the title is:

1. Resign Ray
2. Resign Tony (or find another defensive wing, or better yet, a shooter)
3. Let Perkins get healthy
4. Sign a center like Big Ben, Shaq, etc.

There's your core of 8-9 players.

I'd add a MLE caliber wing to that list too.  This year we got by with just TA because Doc played Ray and Paul big minutes.  That's also likely why both were burned out in the 4th quarter of game 7.  At this point, I like Paul and Ray at 30 mpg, a nice backup at 25, and TA with the rest. 

If Bradley really surprises, he may be that guy backing up all the 1 and 2 minutes with TA just backing up Pierce.  But I wouldn't count on it this year. 

As for Jeff's comment, while cheap talent may jump elsewhere, there also might be a lot of players left out who only can sign for the MLE.  That might work out for the C's. 

[Mr October]

the thing that concerns me is that a lot of teams will need to fill out their roster with cheap talent - teams like Chicago and Miami come to mind - I think the better talent might want to ride those trains instead of ours

The good thing is that this free agent list is not only rich at the top, but its alos rich in the middle (MLE) and bottom. There are plenty of opportunities to be had.

If I'm a vet big on my last legs I'd probably like to go to Boston - you actually get to play (unlike LA) and you have a great shot at a 1 year title run.

And yeah an MLE wing like Mike Miller or Travis Outlaw could help this team greatly.

I'm excited about this off season. My only worry is Pierce's June 30th decision.

[PosImpos]

My biggest concern with this off-season is the Celtics have multiple MLE-sized holes and only one MLE (and no LLE) to fill it.

Hopefully the Celtics can trade Rasheed for an MLE-level player and then use the MLE on another one.  That's the only way I could see them reloading adequately to really compete next season (and they'd still have to re-sign Ray and get some solid vet. minimum signings).

Perk will pretty much be gone for most of the season, since even when he comes back he'll be out of shape and out of practice.  So the Celtics essentially need a starting center.  Big Baby can cover most of the backup power forward minutes.  They'll need a solid backup center to play 10-15 minutes a night until Perk is back, too. 

The C's also desperately need a backup wing with legitimate size and shooting ability. TA is a very talented defender, but even assuming the Celtics are able to re-sign him, we lose to much in terms of rebounding and floor spacing when he's playing at the 3. 

[perks-a-beast]

1. Resign Ray for 3 years/$24 million. Ray retires a Celtic
2. Resign Tony to a 2 year/$6million deal. Not Re-signing him would be a big mistake. He came up huge for us defensively in the playoffs.
3. Trade Rasheeds contract to Charlotte for Nazr Mohammed. Charlotte clears up cap space and we get a legitament defender.
4. Sign Ben Wallace to the vets minimum. For a 37 year old, he still play D pretty [dang] well.
5. Sign Mike Miller to a 3 year deal at the MLE.

That gives you a 12 man rotation of...

Rondo/ Bradley
Ray Ray/ Tony
Pierce/ Mike Miller
Garnett/ Davis/ Harangody
Perkins/ Mohammed/ BEN Wallace

(let Nate, Shelden, Finley, and Scals walk)

[Birdman]

Like it but wouldn't sign Allen for 3 years..give him 2

[PosImpos]

1. Resign Ray for 3 years/$24 million. Ray retires a Celtic
2. Resign Tony to a 2 year/$6million deal. Not Re-signing him would be a big mistake. He came up huge for us defensively in the playoffs.
3. Trade Rasheeds contract to Charlotte for Nazr Mohammed. Charlotte clears up cap space and we get a legitament defender.
4. Sign Ben Wallace to the vets minimum. For a 37 year old, he still play D pretty [dang] well.
5. Sign Mike Miller to a 3 year deal at the MLE.

That gives you a 12 man rotation of...

Rondo/ Bradley
Ray Ray/ Tony
Pierce/ Mike Miller
Garnett/ Davis/ Harangody
Perkins/ Mohammed/ BEN Wallace

(let Nate, Shelden, Finley, and Scals walk)

Main concern there is we'd be relying on two 30+ centers, neither of whom is taller than 6'10'', to cover our center rotation for the majority of the season, and later to spell a player coming off of major surgery.

I'd much prefer to get a guy who's a bit younger and has some game left.  I wouldn't mind Nazr Mohammed as our main backup center, though.  Just not my preference as a starter for the first half of the season.

[Jon]

1. Resign Ray for 3 years/$24 million. Ray retires a Celtic
2. Resign Tony to a 2 year/$6million deal. Not Re-signing him would be a big mistake. He came up huge for us defensively in the playoffs.
3. Trade Rasheeds contract to Charlotte for Nazr Mohammed. Charlotte clears up cap space and we get a legitament defender.
4. Sign Ben Wallace to the vets minimum. For a 37 year old, he still play D pretty [dang] well.
5. Sign Mike Miller to a 3 year deal at the MLE.

That gives you a 12 man rotation of...

Rondo/ Bradley
Ray Ray/ Tony
Pierce/ Mike Miller
Garnett/ Davis/ Harangody
Perkins/ Mohammed/ BEN Wallace

(let Nate, Shelden, Finley, and Scals walk)

I like this a lot.  And I'm OK with two older centers, since once Perk's healthy, we'd only need one of them to actually log substantial minutes. 

I also think it's important that Tony's the fourth wing.  He'd make a great fourth wing, but he's only a mediocre 3rd wing who doesn't take enough scoring pressure off Ray and Paul.

I'm also comfortable with Bradley at the 1.  We basically got by with TA playing the point for large parts of this season and the playoffs.  I think Bradley can at least do that well.  Worse comes to worse, he can attack the basket and play killer D while Pierce or Ray handles the ball.

I agree with Birdman.  Hopefully two years for Ray.  I know I'm not paying him, but I'd prefer two years 24 million over 3 years at the same money. 

[perks-a-beast]

1. Resign Ray for 3 years/$24 million. Ray retires a Celtic
2. Resign Tony to a 2 year/$6million deal. Not Re-signing him would be a big mistake. He came up huge for us defensively in the playoffs.
3. Trade Rasheeds contract to Charlotte for Nazr Mohammed. Charlotte clears up cap space and we get a legitament defender.
4. Sign Ben Wallace to the vets minimum. For a 37 year old, he still play D pretty [dang] well.
5. Sign Mike Miller to a 3 year deal at the MLE.

That gives you a 12 man rotation of...

Rondo/ Bradley
Ray Ray/ Tony
Pierce/ Mike Miller
Garnett/ Davis/ Harangody
Perkins/ Mohammed/ BEN Wallace

(let Nate, Shelden, Finley, and Scals walk)

Main concern there is we'd be relying on two 30+ centers, neither of whom is taller than 6'10'', to cover our center rotation for the majority of the season, and later to spell a player coming off of major surgery.

I'd much prefer to get a guy who's a bit younger and has some game left.  I wouldn't mind Nazr Mohammed as our main backup center, though.  Just not my preference as a starter for the first half of the season.

oops. Thought Mohammed was only 27/28 years old (looked it up on Wiki, 34)....Regardless, i still think he can give us solid minutes off the bench

[More Banners]

the thing that concerns me is that a lot of teams will need to fill out their roster with cheap talent - teams like Chicago and Miami come to mind - I think the better talent might want to ride those trains instead of ours

Gosh, Jeff, I don't get many chances to disagree with you, so here goes...

I think we've learned that players don't like to give discounts.  There hasn't exactly been a line of talent asking to play here, even with KG and Ray.  Looking back, Pose took a discount for only one year and only because he had to (late in summer).  Quisy could've had more $$, but took a one-year discount in hopes of getting full MLE this summer (assuming he would play a role and look good next to KG, Ray, and Paul).

So I don't think that minimum guys will be lining up to sit on the bench behind Lebron and Joe Johnson.  They'd rather come here and play to increase their value.  We're arguably in better position to pick up minimum role players.

[D Dub]

We'll need a new starting center, at least for the 1st half of the season.  Even after the All Star break, Perk may be better suited to a bench role. 

I'm hopeful that Tony, Ray & Nate all get resigned solidifying our back court.  I'd bring back Scal and Daniels at min $ as well.  Probably the best bang for your buck there. 

I'd like to see Danny make a solid trade with Sheed's deal (Beasley seems worth the flyer) and devote the entire MLE to the Center position. 

[More Banners]

COME HOME MATT BONNER!!!

[PosImpos]

COME HOME MATT BONNER!!!

As a backup I might be okay with that but he's not very big for a center and he's not a very good rebounder.  Not exactly what we're looking for.