Which center should we sign?

[Roy H.]

Brad Stevens said they will probably add one more big to the roster.

[Jvalin]

Guys like Whiteside or Cousins or Howard break our defensive scheme. Any old school post only center will. They also impact team culture, which, if anyone is paying attention, seems to matter some these days.

There is no point in using the TPE for a band-aid. If you can't imagine one of these guys helping win a championship, then why bother? Yes, they might get us a couple of extra wins in the regular season, but they don't get us anywhere in the playoffs. We have the same defense as we had second half of last year, or we don't win the title. Its that simple.

There will be some crazy stuff going down at some point. If we can walk away with an Adebayo (probably the best conceivable guy in the league) or Capela or any other very good to great two way player that can play our defensive scheme, then I'm guessing Stevens will go all in. I doubt we will know about what is available until it happens. What seems available now isn't worth the trouble.

Theis didn't really fit our scheme, either. Very few backup bigs will.  But, Theis helped win us a playoff series. 

And, why downplay a couple of extra regular season wins?  That can change seeding, making our path to a title easier.  Plus, more depth means more rest, meaning a fresher team in the playoffs.

I think that we're likely to get somebody just as good with the vet minimum as with the TPE, so I think it's fine for Brad to let it expire.  But, the hole needs to be filled one way or another.

What are you talking about? Theis is literally the perfect fit in our switch-heavy defensive scheme. I bet this is the only reason he was getting playing time, cause otherwise he's nothing special in terms of talent.

- Unreliable shooter
- Undersized post defender
- Mediocre rebounder
- Mediocre shot blocker
- Cannot put the ball on the floor to create his own shot

That said,
- He's mobile enough for a big man to switch ball screens on the perimeter.
- He's a very good screener. Was constantly setting up Tatum with his screens. Ranked 13th best in the NBA in screen assists in 2019 (his best season for us) with 4.3 per game.
- He's a decent PnR roller. Was scoring 1.17 PPP in 2019 which was ranking in 66th percentile.

Theis' defense and switchability are vastly overrated by some fans.  It's why, despite decent production in terms of scoring and rebounding, Ime didn't play him a ton.

Overrated or not, it's all about how we were defending the PnR. The way our PnR defense worked, Theis had to meet the opposing ball handler at the level of dribble hand off and deny penetration. Most bigs cannot do what Theis was doing. Feel free to believe his D was overrated, but the fit was undeniable.

[Roy H.]

Guys like Whiteside or Cousins or Howard break our defensive scheme. Any old school post only center will. They also impact team culture, which, if anyone is paying attention, seems to matter some these days.

There is no point in using the TPE for a band-aid. If you can't imagine one of these guys helping win a championship, then why bother? Yes, they might get us a couple of extra wins in the regular season, but they don't get us anywhere in the playoffs. We have the same defense as we had second half of last year, or we don't win the title. Its that simple.

There will be some crazy stuff going down at some point. If we can walk away with an Adebayo (probably the best conceivable guy in the league) or Capela or any other very good to great two way player that can play our defensive scheme, then I'm guessing Stevens will go all in. I doubt we will know about what is available until it happens. What seems available now isn't worth the trouble.

Theis didn't really fit our scheme, either. Very few backup bigs will.  But, Theis helped win us a playoff series. 

And, why downplay a couple of extra regular season wins?  That can change seeding, making our path to a title easier.  Plus, more depth means more rest, meaning a fresher team in the playoffs.

I think that we're likely to get somebody just as good with the vet minimum as with the TPE, so I think it's fine for Brad to let it expire.  But, the hole needs to be filled one way or another.

What are you talking about? Theis is literally the perfect fit in our switch-heavy defensive scheme. I bet this is the only reason he was getting playing time, cause otherwise he's nothing special in terms of talent.

- Unreliable shooter
- Undersized post defender
- Mediocre rebounder
- Mediocre shot blocker
- Cannot put the ball on the floor to create his own shot

That said,
- He's mobile enough for a big man to switch ball screens on the perimeter.
- He's a very good screener. Was constantly setting up Tatum with his screens. Ranked 13th best in the NBA in screen assists in 2019 (his best season for us) with 4.3 per game.
- He's a decent PnR roller. Was scoring 1.17 PPP in 2019 which was ranking in 66th percentile.

Theis' defense and switchability are vastly overrated by some fans.  It's why, despite decent production in terms of scoring and rebounding, Ime didn't play him a ton.

Overrated or not, it's all about how we were defending the PnR. The way our PnR defense worked, Theis had to meet the opposing ball handler at the level of dribble hand off and deny penetration. Most bigs cannot do what Theis was doing. Feel free to believe his D was overrated, but the fit was undeniable.

If somebody fails at a task repeatedly, do they really fit?

[Jvalin]

Guys like Whiteside or Cousins or Howard break our defensive scheme. Any old school post only center will. They also impact team culture, which, if anyone is paying attention, seems to matter some these days.

There is no point in using the TPE for a band-aid. If you can't imagine one of these guys helping win a championship, then why bother? Yes, they might get us a couple of extra wins in the regular season, but they don't get us anywhere in the playoffs. We have the same defense as we had second half of last year, or we don't win the title. Its that simple.

There will be some crazy stuff going down at some point. If we can walk away with an Adebayo (probably the best conceivable guy in the league) or Capela or any other very good to great two way player that can play our defensive scheme, then I'm guessing Stevens will go all in. I doubt we will know about what is available until it happens. What seems available now isn't worth the trouble.

Theis didn't really fit our scheme, either. Very few backup bigs will.  But, Theis helped win us a playoff series. 

And, why downplay a couple of extra regular season wins?  That can change seeding, making our path to a title easier.  Plus, more depth means more rest, meaning a fresher team in the playoffs.

I think that we're likely to get somebody just as good with the vet minimum as with the TPE, so I think it's fine for Brad to let it expire.  But, the hole needs to be filled one way or another.

What are you talking about? Theis is literally the perfect fit in our switch-heavy defensive scheme. I bet this is the only reason he was getting playing time, cause otherwise he's nothing special in terms of talent.

- Unreliable shooter
- Undersized post defender
- Mediocre rebounder
- Mediocre shot blocker
- Cannot put the ball on the floor to create his own shot

That said,
- He's mobile enough for a big man to switch ball screens on the perimeter.
- He's a very good screener. Was constantly setting up Tatum with his screens. Ranked 13th best in the NBA in screen assists in 2019 (his best season for us) with 4.3 per game.
- He's a decent PnR roller. Was scoring 1.17 PPP in 2019 which was ranking in 66th percentile.

Theis' defense and switchability are vastly overrated by some fans.  It's why, despite decent production in terms of scoring and rebounding, Ime didn't play him a ton.

Overrated or not, it's all about how we were defending the PnR. The way our PnR defense worked, Theis had to meet the opposing ball handler at the level of dribble hand off and deny penetration. Most bigs cannot do what Theis was doing. Feel free to believe his D was overrated, but the fit was undeniable.

If somebody fails at a task repeatedly, do they really fit?

Who says he failed repeatedly? He was terrific under Brad. His advanced stats were great as well. Seems like his lateral quickness isn't what it used to be, hence we punted him. I guess being overpaid didn't work in his favor either.

[footey]

I'm sold on Hassan Whiteside over any other FA big, if Brad can't get the player he may targeting in trade.

He just wasn't a good fit with his last two teams and had some injuries to boot. He gave the C's problems when he was with the Heat. If he can give us 20-25 minutes plus spot starts I'm ok good with this acquisition. And he would also be a good fit against the big teams in the conference (Sixers/Bucks/Chi/Clev).

Also, didn't Tony Bradley sign with the Bulls or did I miss that already?

I don't even think Whiteside was bad with Utah.  He seemed to fit in there.

Obviously, Brad should make a call to Danny to get the inside scoop.

He most likely already has, and if Ainge was super positive we would have signed him already.  Or we are waiting for something dramatic to happen with the KG trade in which someone better can be fit into our TPE. Once that expires without use, I imagine we will sign a FA center (Whiteside, LMA or Howard) to min contract and move on.

[Roy H.]

Guys like Whiteside or Cousins or Howard break our defensive scheme. Any old school post only center will. They also impact team culture, which, if anyone is paying attention, seems to matter some these days.

There is no point in using the TPE for a band-aid. If you can't imagine one of these guys helping win a championship, then why bother? Yes, they might get us a couple of extra wins in the regular season, but they don't get us anywhere in the playoffs. We have the same defense as we had second half of last year, or we don't win the title. Its that simple.

There will be some crazy stuff going down at some point. If we can walk away with an Adebayo (probably the best conceivable guy in the league) or Capela or any other very good to great two way player that can play our defensive scheme, then I'm guessing Stevens will go all in. I doubt we will know about what is available until it happens. What seems available now isn't worth the trouble.

Theis didn't really fit our scheme, either. Very few backup bigs will.  But, Theis helped win us a playoff series. 

And, why downplay a couple of extra regular season wins?  That can change seeding, making our path to a title easier.  Plus, more depth means more rest, meaning a fresher team in the playoffs.

I think that we're likely to get somebody just as good with the vet minimum as with the TPE, so I think it's fine for Brad to let it expire.  But, the hole needs to be filled one way or another.

What are you talking about? Theis is literally the perfect fit in our switch-heavy defensive scheme. I bet this is the only reason he was getting playing time, cause otherwise he's nothing special in terms of talent.

- Unreliable shooter
- Undersized post defender
- Mediocre rebounder
- Mediocre shot blocker
- Cannot put the ball on the floor to create his own shot

That said,
- He's mobile enough for a big man to switch ball screens on the perimeter.
- He's a very good screener. Was constantly setting up Tatum with his screens. Ranked 13th best in the NBA in screen assists in 2019 (his best season for us) with 4.3 per game.
- He's a decent PnR roller. Was scoring 1.17 PPP in 2019 which was ranking in 66th percentile.

Theis' defense and switchability are vastly overrated by some fans.  It's why, despite decent production in terms of scoring and rebounding, Ime didn't play him a ton.

Overrated or not, it's all about how we were defending the PnR. The way our PnR defense worked, Theis had to meet the opposing ball handler at the level of dribble hand off and deny penetration. Most bigs cannot do what Theis was doing. Feel free to believe his D was overrated, but the fit was undeniable.

If somebody fails at a task repeatedly, do they really fit?

Who says he failed repeatedly? He was terrific under Brad. His advanced stats were great as well. Seems like his lateral quickness isn't what it used to be, hence we punted him. I guess being overpaid didn't work in his favor either.

So, he's gone from the "perfect fit" to an overpaid guy who lacks lateral quickness and didn't get playing time while declining under Ime?

Perhaps he wasn't the perfect fit after all?

[nickagneta]

Given the C's got Theis for dumping Schröder, someone who HAD to go, anything he gave was a net positive in a fairly good way. Was Theis perfect? No. But he did bring a bunch of good stuff when called upon as opposed to the "it's about me getting my numbers" play of Schröder.

[sgrogan]

Guys like Whiteside or Cousins or Howard break our defensive scheme. Any old school post only center will. They also impact team culture, which, if anyone is paying attention, seems to matter some these days.

There is no point in using the TPE for a band-aid. If you can't imagine one of these guys helping win a championship, then why bother? Yes, they might get us a couple of extra wins in the regular season, but they don't get us anywhere in the playoffs. We have the same defense as we had second half of last year, or we don't win the title. Its that simple.

There will be some crazy stuff going down at some point. If we can walk away with an Adebayo (probably the best conceivable guy in the league) or Capela or any other very good to great two way player that can play our defensive scheme, then I'm guessing Stevens will go all in. I doubt we will know about what is available until it happens. What seems available now isn't worth the trouble.

Theis didn't really fit our scheme, either. Very few backup bigs will.  But, Theis helped win us a playoff series. 

And, why downplay a couple of extra regular season wins?  That can change seeding, making our path to a title easier.  Plus, more depth means more rest, meaning a fresher team in the playoffs.

I think that we're likely to get somebody just as good with the vet minimum as with the TPE, so I think it's fine for Brad to let it expire.  But, the hole needs to be filled one way or another.

What are you talking about? Theis is literally the perfect fit in our switch-heavy defensive scheme. I bet this is the only reason he was getting playing time, cause otherwise he's nothing special in terms of talent.

- Unreliable shooter
- Undersized post defender
- Mediocre rebounder
- Mediocre shot blocker
- Cannot put the ball on the floor to create his own shot

That said,
- He's mobile enough for a big man to switch ball screens on the perimeter.
- He's a very good screener. Was constantly setting up Tatum with his screens. Ranked 13th best in the NBA in screen assists in 2019 (his best season for us) with 4.3 per game.
- He's a decent PnR roller. Was scoring 1.17 PPP in 2019 which was ranking in 66th percentile.

Theis' defense and switchability are vastly overrated by some fans.  It's why, despite decent production in terms of scoring and rebounding, Ime didn't play him a ton.

Overrated or not, it's all about how we were defending the PnR. The way our PnR defense worked, Theis had to meet the opposing ball handler at the level of dribble hand off and deny penetration. Most bigs cannot do what Theis was doing. Feel free to believe his D was overrated, but the fit was undeniable.

If somebody fails at a task repeatedly, do they really fit?

Who says he failed repeatedly? He was terrific under Brad. His advanced stats were great as well. Seems like his lateral quickness isn't what it used to be, hence we punted him. I guess being overpaid didn't work in his favor either.

So, he's gone from the "perfect fit" to an overpaid guy who lacks lateral quickness and didn't get playing time while declining under Ime?

Perhaps he wasn't the perfect fit after all?

Perfect fit is probably an overstatement, but failure is even more so.
I believe he played every game when either Al or Rob were unavailable.
I think he was with the team for 25 games in the regular season, 18 mpg in 21 with 6 starts and 4 DNP's.
He may not have played a "ton" but Ime played him more than Kornet, Freedom, or Bruno.

For a regular season 5th big, I think we could do a lot worse. Admittedly 9M is a big price tage.

[Roy H.]

Given the C's got Theis for dumping Schröder, someone who HAD to go, anything he gave was a net positive in a fairly good way. Was Theis perfect? No. But he did bring a bunch of good stuff when called upon as opposed to the "it's about me getting my numbers" play of Schröder.

Sure.  But he was a long way from the “perfect fit” for our defensive scheme that he was described as.

Passing on useful players because they’re not “switch everything” bigs is silly.

[nickagneta]

Given the C's got Theis for dumping Schröder, someone who HAD to go, anything he gave was a net positive in a fairly good way. Was Theis perfect? No. But he did bring a bunch of good stuff when called upon as opposed to the "it's about me getting my numbers" play of Schröder.

Sure.  But he was a long way from the “perfect fit” for our defensive scheme that he was described as.

Passing on useful players because they’re not “switch everything” bigs is silly.

No arguments on that from me.

[bricone29]

The Celtics should sign whichever available free agent has the biggest hands.

[mef730]

The Celtics should sign whichever available free agent has the biggest hands.

Trump! Trump! Trump!

[td450]

Given the C's got Theis for dumping Schröder, someone who HAD to go, anything he gave was a net positive in a fairly good way. Was Theis perfect? No. But he did bring a bunch of good stuff when called upon as opposed to the "it's about me getting my numbers" play of Schröder.

Sure.  But he was a long way from the “perfect fit” for our defensive scheme that he was described as.

Passing on useful players because they’re not “switch everything” bigs is silly.

No arguments on that from me.

I'll argue that we should pass on useful players because they’re not “switch everything” bigs. I guess I'm silly.

As of now, we have two great shooters who don't fit in Pritchard and Gallo. They are likely the last two in our rotation despite elite shooting. It will be difficult to hide one more.

If you leave a hole in the “switch everything” defense for too long, that defensive form fails. It is the single most important capability this team has. We do not have a top 5 offensive player, and we win nothing without it.

While I understand many here disagree, I feel good about the fact that all evidence suggests that Stevens and Udoka agree with that defensive commitment.

[sgrogan]

Given the C's got Theis for dumping Schröder, someone who HAD to go, anything he gave was a net positive in a fairly good way. Was Theis perfect? No. But he did bring a bunch of good stuff when called upon as opposed to the "it's about me getting my numbers" play of Schröder.

Sure.  But he was a long way from the “perfect fit” for our defensive scheme that he was described as.

Passing on useful players because they’re not “switch everything” bigs is silly.

No arguments on that from me.

I'll argue that we should pass on useful players because they’re not “switch everything” bigs. I guess I'm silly.

As of now, we have two great shooters who don't fit in Pritchard and Gallo. They are likely the last two in our rotation despite elite shooting. It will be difficult to hide one more.

If you leave a hole in the “switch everything” defense for too long, that defensive form fails. It is the single most important capability this team has. We do not have a top 5 offensive player, and we win nothing without it.

While I understand many here disagree, I feel good about the fact that all evidence suggests that Stevens and Udoka agree with that defensive commitment.

Not silly, but what is your alternative?

Barring a bigger deal, what do we do?
Rob's out a few games, play Al 38 mpg like in the playoffs?
Do you want to play Al 30 mpg in the regular season? Are you happy having Grant play 36 mins as a big during the regular season?

[td450]

Given the C's got Theis for dumping Schröder, someone who HAD to go, anything he gave was a net positive in a fairly good way. Was Theis perfect? No. But he did bring a bunch of good stuff when called upon as opposed to the "it's about me getting my numbers" play of Schröder.

Sure.  But he was a long way from the “perfect fit” for our defensive scheme that he was described as.

Passing on useful players because they’re not “switch everything” bigs is silly.

No arguments on that from me.

I'll argue that we should pass on useful players because they’re not “switch everything” bigs. I guess I'm silly.

As of now, we have two great shooters who don't fit in Pritchard and Gallo. They are likely the last two in our rotation despite elite shooting. It will be difficult to hide one more.

If you leave a hole in the “switch everything” defense for too long, that defensive form fails. It is the single most important capability this team has. We do not have a top 5 offensive player, and we win nothing without it.

While I understand many here disagree, I feel good about the fact that all evidence suggests that Stevens and Udoka agree with that defensive commitment.

Not silly, but what is your alternative?

Barring a bigger deal, what do we do?
Rob's out a few games, play Al 38 mpg like in the playoffs?
Do you want to play Al 30 mpg in the regular season? Are you happy having Grant play 36 mins as a big during the regular season?

I've posted about this quite a bit, but I'm fine with the compromises you listed for the regular season. I don't think it would be disastrous to play someone like Kornet or Kabengele for a couple of shifts a game for a few weeks during the regular season, if it came to that. Not ideal, but OK.

I agree that we would be important to get one more big who could play a rotation spot at a playoff level. Sooner is better, but only if they are actually worth playing in the playoffs.

I think our best bet is to wait on disruptive major deals like the possible Durant trade, and make a move then. I expect we will get a chance to act as a facilitator and get someone who could actually help when it matters. We might even be able to make a major move. Durant will make teams do whatever it takes to make a deal work, even if it would be otherwise crazy.