Its time for Danny to build around Tatum/Brown

[DefenseWinsChamps]

With Indiana having problems with playing Turner and Sabonis together, I think Myles Turner could be a possible target? Imagine him being plugged into Theis’ role...a defensive big who can shoot 3s consistently. Plus he’s just 24 or 25 years old...perfect for JT and JB’s timeline.

Except he can't shoot 3s consistently, and is a terrible rebounder

I think his rebounding is fine. He is battling against Sabonis for rebounds. Also, Warren and Oladipo gobble some up as well. He's had some big rebounding games.

The problem is that he has never been a rhythm offensive player. He's never gotten into a rhythm for where he will score consistently, and his teammates have never gotten used to where he likes to get the ball or how they can use his screens or popping gravity.

He's the anti-Theis in that way. But he is still young and I think he's a good player.

[ChillyWilly]

I think this roster is what we'll be looking at for a few seasons with a few new bench guys brought in as some of the young guys fall out of favor.

No big names. And I'm good with that and if in 2-3 years we don't break this ECF hump Brad can kick rocks.

But that's just my opinion and we know opinions are almost as valuable as Canadian Tire Money at an American Wal Mart.

[Birdman]

Get John Collins!!! He be perfect on this team

[Rondo9]

If you were starting your franchise with Tatum and Brown, what other types of players would you plug in around them?

A knockdown shooter at SG would fit great with Tatum and Jaylen at the forward slots. Someone who shots with both accuracy and high volume from 3. Someone like Buddy Hield or Herro. That type of an offensive threat. That would be great alongside Tatum, Jaylen and Kemba. Open up the offense more. Give everyone more space to operate.

A more dynamic starting big man would also be a great option.

Herro would have been perfect, which is why Ainge slammed the table when the Heat took him a pick before us. If we had him right now we'd be preparing to destroy the Lakers and build a dynasty.

They can still do it.

[LilRip]

Reading some of the comments, let me just clarify. We’re a very good team and Hayward fits because, well, GH is a good player. Good players (with good attitudes) tend to make things work. Plus, we’re in the ECF and a 3rd seed. So my question wasn’t about turning a bad team into a good one. It was more turning a good team into a team that makes you think championship. Another note is that Tatum is only like 22. So really, you’re looking at a good ways away down the road - likely 2 years onwards.

A suggestion I saw that I really like is Buddy Hield. I don’t know how to acquire him but a knockdown shooter who isn’t a defensive liability is a talent the C’s want, IMO. Theis getting love and rightfully so, but I still think in an ideal world, Theis should be coming off the bench. And I don’t think a 3-pt shooting big is a pre-requisite here (I mean, a possession that ends in a Theis 3 is one that probably exhausted a lot of options). But definitely someone who can at least make a mid-range, who is high IQ, and can be like Smart - aka doing the dirty work and gumming things up.

As the years go by (like 2 years later?), I think we’ll start seeing too that Kemba isn’t the greatest fit alongside these 2 guys. He’s such a great fit, chemistry-wise though, and currently we need him to take the pressure off of Tatum in terms of lead shot maker. Hopefully he takes a discount or something when his contract is up.

If you think Hield is not a defensive liability, you might not have been following his career closely. He is. It's one of the reasons he didn't start as much this year and his minutes went down.

I think he has potential to get better--he seems like a hard worker and is teachable. But right now, he is a defensive liability.

Also, I think you could argue that Buddy Hield's "prime" years fits better with a Hayward core than a Tatum/Brown core.

Admittedly I haven’t. I thought he was fine when I saw us play against him this past year. Not a top defender but someone who doesn’t get abused by 2/3’s. But you’re right, I don’t watch him closely enough. I do remember walking away impressed at how he’s improved overall vs his rookie year and how he seemed like such a dangerous offensive threat, both with and without the ball.

[gouki88]

With Indiana having problems with playing Turner and Sabonis together, I think Myles Turner could be a possible target? Imagine him being plugged into Theis’ role...a defensive big who can shoot 3s consistently. Plus he’s just 24 or 25 years old...perfect for JT and JB’s timeline.

Except he can't shoot 3s consistently, and is a terrible rebounder

I think his rebounding is fine. He is battling against Sabonis for rebounds. Also, Warren and Oladipo gobble some up as well. He's had some big rebounding games.

The problem is that he has never been a rhythm offensive player. He's never gotten into a rhythm for where he will score consistently, and his teammates have never gotten used to where he likes to get the ball or how they can use his screens or popping gravity.

He's the anti-Theis in that way. But he is still young and I think he's a good player.

I really don't think his rebounding is fine at all. All throughout his career his highest rebound % was 13.9 (last year). That would be Theis' second worst of his career. He's very similar to Al Horford in rebounding - allergic to offensive rebounds but an ok defensive rebounder. However, there's no threat of dribbling once he's rebounded or firing off an outlet pass like Al, so I dock him for that.

I do agree about his offensive rhythm. His best offensive season was really not anything to write home about

[nickagneta]

The Celtics blogosphere is littered with millions of trade ideas sending Hayward to Indiana for Turner and....whoever. I have never understood them. Why give up a talent like Gordon Hayward to get Myles Turner as the centerpiece back in the trade when you already have a player on your team better than Turner who plays the same position in Daniel Theis?

[gouki88]

The Celtics blogosphere is littered with millions of trade ideas sending Hayward to Indiana for Turner and....whoever. I have never understood them. Why give up a talent like Gordon Hayward to get Myles Turner as the centerpiece back in the trade when you already have a player on your team better than Turner who plays the same position in Daniel Theis?

Right? Feel like I'm crazy for not seeing it. The allure of youth I guess, but he has quite seriously for the most part not improved for his entire career

[MichiganAdam]

The Celtics blogosphere is littered with millions of trade ideas sending Hayward to Indiana for Turner and....whoever. I have never understood them. Why give up a talent like Gordon Hayward to get Myles Turner as the centerpiece back in the trade when you already have a player on your team better than Turner who plays the same position in Daniel Theis?

The C's need another player to help in the big rotation who can anchor the Center of the D better than theis can.  The idea would be to even play them together for short spurts against big teams.  The C's also need a pure 3 point shooter for the bench at either PG or SG.  First and foremost the C's are a Defensive focused team.  To play a player needs to defend, hence the loss of playing time for Kanter.  Theis is great against small teams, but the Embid's of the world are a struggle.

[tenn_smoothie]

I thought that's what we had already decided to do with the Kyrie Irving disaster behind us.

I've been saying for a couple of years now - this team needs an upgrade in the post, a playmaking point guard and a knock-down catch & shoot guy or maybe two shooters and a Head Coach that needs to get better as well. But we aren't going to beat the Lakers with our weak post players. they are too big and strong inside and Danny Boy needs to wake up and realize that this is still basketball and size does matter. He seems so obsessed with being Golden State East and playing small-ball to eternity. Maybe it was because he played guard, I don't know.

[Phantom255x]

Yeah, maybe he should get a TRUE center and also get an actual bench too.

[ozgod]

The Celtics blogosphere is littered with millions of trade ideas sending Hayward to Indiana for Turner and....whoever. I have never understood them. Why give up a talent like Gordon Hayward to get Myles Turner as the centerpiece back in the trade when you already have a player on your team better than Turner who plays the same position in Daniel Theis?

It's because Myles Turner is 3 inches taller.

[Kuberski33]

I wouldn't say Hayward is a bad fit. Brown and Tatum are definitely better with Hayward. But Hayward is over paid right now and probably won't resign cheap enough.

Any way the C's can flip him for a solid starting big who can actually score/defend/rebound, and a critical bench piece?

Theis has been good on def. He's averaging over 10 rpg in the playoffs. He had like 15 points last night. He is the definition of a solid starting big man.

And he got destroyed by Adebayo. Bam isn't going anywhere either so if they roll it back with him as their top 5, expect more of the same vs Miami when it matters.

[ozgod]

Theis and Turner's per36 stats can be compared below.

Theis is on $5m a season, Myles is on $18m a season.

[Kuberski33]

If you look at this objectively, Hayward is back next season picking up his option. And they'll pay Tatum. I don't think they have a lot of options other than trying to find some vets with needed skills who are willing to come here for the vet minimum in order to chase a ring.  Unless Danny has someone overseas he can bring in.

The two Williamses return probably in bigger roles. Ideally you want to upgrade Theis but I'm not sure how you bring back better value. 

You have a better chance of upgrading Wanamaker and bring in someone who can shoot 3's but it's going to require some adept bottom feeding by Ainge. Unless of course Danny wants to roll the dice and make Smart the key to a major deal.

I think I'd opt for rolling it back and push the next major move to the following off season when they can do something with Hayward.