In hindsight, swapping TT for Kanter seems like a mistake. Kanter specialized in going against big bodies, better than TT. I don't think TT gives us anything defensively that we don't get from Theis and Rob Williams. Early returns anyway.
This is (1) a good point, and (2) bad. When Kanter gives you better defense than the MLE vet you picked up *for his defense*, that’s really not good.
Which is why the Celtics need to strongly consider using the TPE to bring in a better big man. It’s clearly the biggest weakness this team has and the Celtics are going to have to go through Philly, Milwaukee, Brooklyn, or Indiana, all of whom have big,
Physical centers. People keep suggesting using the TPE on a wing which doesn’t make sense considering Smart, Tatum and Brown will be taking virtually all of those minutes come playoff time. We also have Semi off the bench who has been playing good D and is hitting the 3 ball this year, which is all that they need from him. Celtics don’t need more scoring when they have Kemba, Tatum, Brown, Smart, and even Pritchard has been a reliable option thus far. I also believe that Teague will be better once he gets comfortable. Even with his struggles he’s still shooting 42% from 3. There is only one ball to go around.
What do you think about Georgui Dieng on the grizzlies? He’s shooting 44% from 3 and 59% from 2. Huge aberrations from his prior seasons. Also 4.4 rebounds in 16 mpg. He’s also taller and possibly stronger than our 3 centers.
I wish Danny traded for him instead of Tristan.
Dieng makes $17M and is an expiring contract. He fits in the tpe and we might stay below the tax line too
Memphis owe us for gifting them Bane lol
I don’t think he’s good enough to warrant use of the TPE. From what I’ve seen he’s an average rebounder and defender, which is why he rarely got on the court when Thibs was coaching him. I’m not sure if he’s really an upgrade over Thompson or Theis. If the Celtics use the TPE this year, I think Horford, Bagley, or Holmes are the best options. If they use it in the off-season, they can go after Adams or Drummond.
