Does The Recent Improved Play Mean That Adding Height Isn't That Important?

[LooseCannon]

A lot has been made of just how well the Celtics having been playing without Rondo.  They've also been playing better without adding an impact big, as so many posters have been begging for Ainge to do.

Before the Celtics seemingly flipped the switch, would you have believed someone if they told you the team would elevate its play despite keeping Brandon Bass in a starting role, losing Jared Sullinger, trading Jason Collins at the deadline, and not adding another big who has worked his way into the rotation during that time?

Maybe the lesson of this season is that smallball isn't the disastrous strategy that some make it out to be.  All you need is the personnel who will play defense correctly, even if they aren't lockdown individual defenders.  In putting together the roster together for next season, perhaps the goal should be to find a fourth big to in a rotation with Garnett, Bass, Sullinger, and sometimes Green, where the priority is to find someone who has the mobility to play Doc's defense while running in the offense, instead of a taller, bigger player who might be described as "plodding".  Sure, it would be nice to have a tall, mobile big, but perhaps height isn't a necessary ingredient.  Of course, the team still might want to invest in a third-string Jason Collins-type center to be brought out against opposing centers such as Dwight Howard.

If I were looking for a fourth big to add to KG/BB/JS for next season, I would be looking for these traits: can defend all the way out to the perimeter, commits to defense and won't concede shots in order to get in better rebounding position, runs the floor decently so that he is not an anchor around the neck of the offense.

Someone 6'9" who does that is probably a better fit than someone 6'11" who can score in the low post but doesn't do any of the things I describe.

Ainge is not the sort of GM who seems willing to overpay for height, so I think this season is a clear sign that we can expect more of the same willingness to sign under-sized bigs.