Fun Game. Build a team for Isaiah Thomas.

[KG Living Legend]

 Build a starting five around Thomas, the worst team that would win a championship within three years.

 Meaning good enough to win it, but don't completely over due it either. The team will have the Celtics bench. Smart, Amir, Jonas, Brown, Rozier.

 Any four players you want. Who would compliment IT the most.

 Anthony Davis
 Julius Randle
 Kawaii Leonard
 Bradley Beal
 Isaiah Thomas

 I think this team with the Celtics bench wins 1 title in the next three years. Agreed?
 
 
 

[KG Living Legend]

 Also estimate how many points per Thomas would score on his new team.

 On this team even With Kawaii, Davis, I think he avg 18ppg.

[walker834]

I'm enjoying the IT and Horford pairing for what it is right now. Who knows what we need.  We could use another big man.  I'd also like to make a run at  Hayward at this point.

I really don't see the celtics trading anyone on this team that is a major player and is part of the long term group. 

It's even questionable how much we need another big man.  We have Yab and Zizic stashed where they can replace Zeller and Mickey.

KO and Amir played well in their roles tonight.  Against tougher competition it might not be that way though.

[walker834]

I'm basically with Ainge verbatim.  We can make a trade but I'm not giving up anything that is part of our long term future here. We could use a really good big man to stand down there and grab rebounds to go with Horford and a better scoring wing than Crowder potentially.  I would not touch the rest of the roster.

If people dont want to trade with us we basically can go into the draft and free agency.

There is no reason to give up any core player to our future.  That includes guys like Smart, Rozier.  KO played well tonight.  So did Amir. We have Yab and Zizic s tashed where there is some flexibility there. 

Crowder or Smart could go but I would not touch that particularly Smart with a 10 foot poll right now.

Woj can talk all he wants.  Same with the internet.

I'm so fun lol.

[walker834]

Zeller, Mickey, Gerald Green are on the table plus draft picks for Boogie and we go after Hayward.  Possibly Crowder.  James y oung isn't even on the table. YOu can basically mix and match young and green though. Or KO and Amir with Zizic, Zeller, Mickey and Yabusele.

Teams want Smart instead of Crowder I feel and we aren't doing it.

[KG Living Legend]

 OK Walker how about this. Keep Horford, Thomas, and Bradley together. I'll give you a TP if you add two more players that makes a a serious title contender.

[jpotter33]

IT
Klay Thompson/JJ Reddick
Kawhi Leonard/Paul George
Draymond Green/Al Horford
Deandre Jordan

I think you give him the James Harden treatment and make him a high usage guy with weapons all around.

I think you try and get two elite shooters who can spot-up and don't need the ball to be effective offensively, but are still versatile, efficient defenders that can cover for IT's defensive deficiencies - Klay Thompson, JJ Reddick, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard are all good choices at the 2 and 3.

You then need to have at least one playmaker/shooter at the big position who is a versatile defender. Al Horford and Draymond Green would be two good choices there.

Finally, I like DJ for his rim-rolling abilities with IT in the PnR, along with his ability to anchor the defense and dominate the boards.

EDIT: Didn't see the minimum part. That's just who I'd build an ideal IT with.

[walker834]

I'm not sure who else. I like Noel because I'm ok with Horford as our center where he could be a better option over Amir.  Tatum is also growing on me but not sure on him.  Same with Isaac. I don't like them that much.

Kosta Koufos has been mentioned. Same with Bogut but I don't buy those that much.

Okafor.  kevin love has sailed.  I've said this stuff a million times though.

Ainge is better at finding guys than I am. He'll probably find someone we don't expect.

I'm still holding out a bit of a pipedream on Kevin Love but that seems to have sailed.

[walker834]

I think Ainge is most likely to trade the 17 pick at the deadline and make a run at Hayward. Or even draft time.  I don't think we draft this year. He will find someone worth the 17 pick. I think we keep the 18 for insurance if we can't get a guy like Boogie.  If we can get Boogie I think Ainge would trade both picks.

[walker834]

I think this team is better than people think.  We are just finding our spots and when to do what.  We need a better scoring wing and rebounder.  We don't have to give up anyone overly to do that. If we add those 2 things to what we have that is a team built for IT. It's even questionable if we need a better wing with Crowder and Jaylen here.  Plus Smart playing all over the place. And guys like KO and Yab and Zizic coming.  We do need another guy in there to fix our rebounding.

We like to space the floor for IT though.  That's how he succeeds.  IT and Horford are our bread and butter.

Little guy and Big guy.

Marc Gasol would be nice to go with Horford to give us twin towers down there. Ainge will figure it out though. I have no  doubt.  He understands what this team is trying to do as far as positioning and everything and who who fits where.

Ainge could go to Chris Wallace for all I know and be like hey Conley is banged up. Here's some picks for Gasol.

Or Larry for Paul George.

[walker834]

So

IT
bradley
HAyward/George
Horford/Davis
Boogie

I think AB is perfect for IT and better than Beal.  Horford is a great fit for him as well.  Boogie would be the perfect center and Hayward. Which is all plausible.  Boogie or Davis.  Or Hayward or George is prety relative imo.   I'd take Kawhi over either of those guys.  I'll take Hayward though and Boogie.  Bradley is better defensively than Beal and Hayward is a better passer than KAwhi.  Out of anyone in the league. 

I might take Anthony Davis over Boogie and let Horford play center just for spacing. Anyone else there would be too much ball hogging.

Beal is a better shooter than Bradley but Bradley is better defensively. NEither is overly a ballhog and plays their role.

AD really is a supercharged Noel with Offense.  Marc Gasol is good too and would fit for spacing purposes. I can't think of anyone else I want for a big man on this team.  We need our parish and mchale but the closest in todays nba is probably Horford and Davis.  I'll take Boogie though.

There is no larry bird out there. Unless it's Durant.  Kawhi, GEorge or HAyward.  Hayward is the best passer.

IT
Bradley
Durant/ Kawhi
Davis
Horford/Boogie

works too. There is no one else in the league I would want on this team. Butler or Klay maybe. Lebron, Dwade no..... Derozan nope.  Kevin Love maybe.  Giannis maybe.  Drummond nope.  Griffin nope. Towns not really. Aldridge same.  Howard nooooo. Kristaps and Horford would be weak rebounding. Kristaps with Boogie would work.

This is why I like the way the celtics are building.  Because putting  a super team together is far fetched and there are only so many players in the league even worth looking at. MOst of which don't make any sense how we are constructing something that will probably end up better.  It won't be how people think it will be though.

It will more than likely be the way we are building.  Honestly outside of the guys mentioned and most of them I'd take Crowder and Amir as my sf and pf. Most of those other guys would not work here or with IT.  I'll take amir over Dwight Howard or Frank the tank any day.  There are guys like Millsap and Favors but why do we want to be the hawks.   These guys do not fit as far as spacing for IT.

Sry I broke your game but as far as championship level rosters there aren't many taht would get there.  I'm sure there's others i'm missing but probably not a lot and it would take getting really creative.

IT
Klay
Giannis/Draymond
Millsap

That's not a championship roster though I don't think.  It would more be like golden state with Durant at power forward or something. That team would also not be good at rebounding which is basically GS's achilles heel and perimeter defense. Or Lebron if you put him at SF we are like cleveland.  We can build something  better with what we have.

IT
Klay
Giannis/Draymond/Lebron
Millsap/Durant/Love
Gasol

would be a championship team.