Do the Celtics have the match up C they need?

[wdleehi]

The problem with the buyout market is you're at the mercy of the bidding war.

Celts could have had Kanter for last year's playoffs.
But Kanter chose the Blazers because he knew he would get more playing time with the Blazers with Nurkic out.

Buyout market is a crap shoot.   I rather a small trade involving end of bench filler and maybe a future 2nd round pick. 

[SHAQATTACK]

we don't need a big man ...got plenty

what we need is an exceptional quality big man....

[Vermont Green]

My take on this is that we don't necessarily need a center, we just need a legitimate starting level big.  I am fine to play with two legit power forwards, I don't care if one "identifies" as a center or not.  What I don't like is HAVING to play with only one big on the floor because all of our bigs are so marginally talented.

We are not CHOOSING to play small ball, we HAVE to play small ball because of our roster.  In my opinion, this will only get us so far.

[bdm860]

I think what we're missing in Horford's innate ability; team defense, we're also making up for it with insane perimeter defense.

While, Theis will certainly not be playing this well cannot be sustainable, (4.6 blocks per 36,) defensively, the lack of a true C doesn't seem to be necessary since we play small ball anyways. Our best 5 is Hayward, Walker, Brown, Tatum, and Smart.

Celts tried that approach against the Sixers in the first game of the season.

The Celts ended up getting outrebounded by Philly 62-41.

Philly didn't even shoot well in that game.

Celtics only played that lineup for for 3 1/2 minutes during the Philly game though.

Here's a look at the box score as best as I could cut it.  They were -1, but even on rebounds.  Way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions.

That lineup has only played 5.2 minutes total across 2 games.  The other game was against Toronto and they were +2 in points, +3 in rebounds.

Overall +1 in points and +3 in rebounds!  Still way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions (and there were no super imposing big men on the floor for the other team at the time either, which helps).

[Atzar]

We need to get Kanter healthy.  We need to continue developing Robert Williams.  And I'd like Theis to finish better around the rim, but I'm otherwise pleased with what he's giving us already.  Grant Williams will have stretches when he can help us as the small ball big, especially if his shot comes around.  Perhaps Poirier can learn the system as the year goes on and contribute in the second half of the season.

In terms of skillsets, I think we have what we need to get by based on matchups.  It will continue to be the weak spot on this team relative to our strengths at other positions, but I don't see it as an urgent thing that MUST be fixed via trade to allow us to compete.  I think we can compete with what we have. 

[keevsnick]

I think as nice as the Celtics have looked there are still worrying problems with this team. The offense still has a tendency to get bogged down in the midrange (10ft-3pnt line) and rely on hitting those shots. The C's seem to be taking a lot of off the dribble three rather than generating a ton of catch and shot threes. I worry that relative to their natural positions of PG, SG and SF Kemba, brown and Tatum are below average passers (more so the last two). And nobody on the team other than Kemba is really generating free throws. As good as Hayward looked last night he went into that game averaging like 16.5 and 4 assists, he wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire every game. And t was basically the best possible matchup he'll get all season.

The c's also have little bench scoring. All that equals what might not be an elite offense and if your offense isnt gonna be elite than to truly contend the defense has to balance things out by also being very good and I don't know if it can be with the centers the C's have right now.  Like in the regular season I think it can be good, but come playoff time when a team spends the entire two week series game planning against your biggest weakness I think theres a chance it gets badly exploited.

So to answer your question yes, I would like a center upgrade. I think the c's will win a lot of games in the regular season without one, maybe even make the ECF without one, and will be very enjoyable without one, but to really reach contender status I think they need one. 

I have no idea how to get one.

[footey]

I’m very happy with our center position by committee.

None need to score; we have enough scorers.

All other than Kanter are switchable and good defenders.

Test will be Lakers and Sixers. If we can handle their size, we could go places.

[Spicoli]

The game against the Cavs showed us how an opposing Center can hurt the Celts.
Tristan Thompson ended up getting 19 points and 13 rebounds, 8 offensive boards.

Thompson pretty much does this to every team. He's just a great, great offensive rebounder.

[Spicoli]

Personally i like the tandem of Theis and TL. Theis works well with the starters and TL works well with the bench. Kanter, and Poirer can both be traded to free up an emergency spot for Fall. Theis, TL and fall are more than enough to compete at center in today's NBA.

[Greyman]

I really like what Theis has been doing but he isn't the centre I want starting against Philly or a number of other teams with legitimate bigs who are just on another level. That said, at least you know he will defend and be in position most of the time. The quandary is that Kanter has the defensive liability but he is the best proven point scorer of the available Celtics centres. Time Lord is progressing well but he almost definitely won't progress enough to become a starter this season. None of the other options at the position are really ideal, though they might be okay in some situations.

I don't the Celtics have the match up C they need to beat the best teams and I don't think that a rotation of the bigs available will work against the best teams. I also don't think they are far away though and I am not sure that there is an available C who would improve the team as much as is needed. We don't need a change to make the playoffs or win the first round or maybe second. The conference finals and NBA final are a different beast though.

[Fierce1]

I think what we're missing in Horford's innate ability; team defense, we're also making up for it with insane perimeter defense.

While, Theis will certainly not be playing this well cannot be sustainable, (4.6 blocks per 36,) defensively, the lack of a true C doesn't seem to be necessary since we play small ball anyways. Our best 5 is Hayward, Walker, Brown, Tatum, and Smart.

Celts tried that approach against the Sixers in the first game of the season.

The Celts ended up getting outrebounded by Philly 62-41.

Philly didn't even shoot well in that game.

Celtics only played that lineup for for 3 1/2 minutes during the Philly game though.

Here's a look at the box score as best as I could cut it.  They were -1, but even on rebounds.  Way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions.

That lineup has only played 5.2 minutes total across 2 games.  The other game was against Toronto and they were +2 in points, +3 in rebounds.

Overall +1 in points and +3 in rebounds!  Still way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions (and there were no super imposing big men on the floor for the other team at the time either, which helps).

Against the Knicks in Boston, the Celts gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Right now it's a small sample size, but historically, Celts never won a championship without a dominant big man.

The NBA game has changed, but I still think having a quality to big man to defend the paint and get rebounds is still one of the ingredients for a championship team.

I don't think the Raptors would have won a championship if they didn't get Marc Gasol at the trade deadline.

[Fierce1]

The game against the Cavs showed us how an opposing Center can hurt the Celts.
Tristan Thompson ended up getting 19 points and 13 rebounds, 8 offensive boards.

Thompson pretty much does this to every team. He's just a great, great offensive rebounder.

Then it would be a good thing if the Celts can get Thompson for Kanter, Poirier, Ojeleye, a draft pick, and maybe Langford or Theis, right?

[Somebody]

I think what we're missing in Horford's innate ability; team defense, we're also making up for it with insane perimeter defense.

While, Theis will certainly not be playing this well cannot be sustainable, (4.6 blocks per 36,) defensively, the lack of a true C doesn't seem to be necessary since we play small ball anyways. Our best 5 is Hayward, Walker, Brown, Tatum, and Smart.

Celts tried that approach against the Sixers in the first game of the season.

The Celts ended up getting outrebounded by Philly 62-41.

Philly didn't even shoot well in that game.

Celtics only played that lineup for for 3 1/2 minutes during the Philly game though.

Here's a look at the box score as best as I could cut it.  They were -1, but even on rebounds.  Way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions.

That lineup has only played 5.2 minutes total across 2 games.  The other game was against Toronto and they were +2 in points, +3 in rebounds.

Overall +1 in points and +3 in rebounds!  Still way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions (and there were no super imposing big men on the floor for the other team at the time either, which helps).

Against the Knicks in Boston, the Celts gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Right now it's a small sample size, but historically, Celts never won a championship without a dominant big man.

The NBA game has changed, but I still think having a quality to big man to defend the paint and get rebounds is still one of the ingredients for a championship team.

I don't think the Raptors would have won a championship if they didn't get Marc Gasol at the trade deadline.

Parish was hardly dominant. He was very good for a long period of time, but fringe All-NBA production isn't dominant at all. What we need is a transcendent talent plus good players at every position who can complement the centrepiece, or a collection of star talent ala the 08 Celtics (although Garnett was an MVP calibre big).

3400th post!

[byennie]

The game against the Cavs showed us how an opposing Center can hurt the Celts.
Tristan Thompson ended up getting 19 points and 13 rebounds, 8 offensive boards.

Thompson pretty much does this to every team. He's just a great, great offensive rebounder.

Almost as good at it as Kanter...

[Fierce1]

I think what we're missing in Horford's innate ability; team defense, we're also making up for it with insane perimeter defense.

While, Theis will certainly not be playing this well cannot be sustainable, (4.6 blocks per 36,) defensively, the lack of a true C doesn't seem to be necessary since we play small ball anyways. Our best 5 is Hayward, Walker, Brown, Tatum, and Smart.

Celts tried that approach against the Sixers in the first game of the season.

The Celts ended up getting outrebounded by Philly 62-41.

Philly didn't even shoot well in that game.

Celtics only played that lineup for for 3 1/2 minutes during the Philly game though.

Here's a look at the box score as best as I could cut it.  They were -1, but even on rebounds.  Way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions.

That lineup has only played 5.2 minutes total across 2 games.  The other game was against Toronto and they were +2 in points, +3 in rebounds.

Overall +1 in points and +3 in rebounds!  Still way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions (and there were no super imposing big men on the floor for the other team at the time either, which helps).

Against the Knicks in Boston, the Celts gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Right now it's a small sample size, but historically, Celts never won a championship without a dominant big man.

The NBA game has changed, but I still think having a quality to big man to defend the paint and get rebounds is still one of the ingredients for a championship team.

I don't think the Raptors would have won a championship if they didn't get Marc Gasol at the trade deadline.

Parish was hardly dominant. He was very good for a long period of time, but fringe All-NBA production isn't dominant at all. What we need is a transcendent talent plus good players at every position who can complement the centrepiece, or a collection of star talent ala the 08 Celtics (although Garnett was an MVP calibre big).

3400th post!

Come on, Robert Parish is a Hall of Famer.

Right now the Celts have excellent players in Kemba, Tatum, and Hayward.
Add Smart and Brown and the Celts have a Fab Five.
What the Celts need is a big man who can defend and get rebounds.

If only Kanter is decent on defense then there's no need for this discussion.

I saw the GSW vs. Portland series last season.

Kanter was awful on defense.
Steph Curry had a big series against Portland, averaging 36.5 points per game.
Reason was Kanter couldn't defend the pick and roll.
GSW was already executing the pick and roll near half-court.
Kanter was absolutely clueless on how to defend GSW's pick and roll.

Once the Celts get a quality big man, I wouldn't be surprised if it's LA vs. Boston in the Finals again.