Which center should we sign?

[Moranis]

You guys are vying over a bunch of scrubs. As long as KD is on the market, we should be aiming for the big fish. If we cannot acquire KD, we should be trying to facilitate a 3-way trade with the aim of landing Bam or Simmons. Personally speaking, I'd rather have Tatum, Brown and Bam over Tatum and KD. But that's just me.

Btw, I fully believe Horford is at his best when playing at the 5 (especially at this stage in his career). All we need is a 3rd string Center. Who cares? I'd be more than happy with a guy like Tony Bradley.

Per cleaningtheglass, Gallinari has played limited minutes at Center throughout his career. I'd expect him to provide cover at Center in case we face an injury crisis. If Nemanja Bjelica transformed into a stretch Center, I don't see why Gallo can't. After all, they are both the same height (6'10'').

How are you getting Bam without giving up Brown?

See page 17. Imo, Bam is a top 20ish player in the league. I consider him a better player than Brown. By extension, I consider him way better than either Timelord or Horford. If a deal like that is available, I believe we should pull the trigger. I'd happily throw in a second pick as well.

(click on image to enlarge)


KD's preferred destinations are Phoenix and Miami. I would assume the Heat would be willing to sacrifice Bam. Problem is, the Nets are not allowed to acquire Bam because of the Designated Rookie Extension rule. A third team would have to come into play. Enters Boston.

It's possible that the Heat would like us to be the 3rd team cause
a) we can send them a Bam replacement in Timelord
b) we can send Brooklyn a massive expiring in Horford

Tatum - Brown - Bam would be the best young core in the NBA!

Overpay which actually leaves us shallower, and IMO worse in the short-term too.

Disagree on the overpay. Agree on the worse in the short term.

I still do the deal despite getting worse in the short term because Bam, Jaylen and Tatum is a title contender year in year out for the next 7-10 years.

Well worth taking an immediate step backwards to open that long window of title contention.

Yeah you have to make that trade, I just don't see how Boston can acquire Bam without Brown.  It just doesn't make any sense.  Also, why would the Nets do that?  I'd think if Boston was involved with that sort of package going out, Boston would have to be the one taking Duncan Robinson.  At least that adds value to the other teams. 

I also disagree on Boston being worse in the short term.  I think Boston is better in the short term with that trade despite clearly needing 2 more bigs.  Winning in the playoffs is always much more about top end talent and that trade would significantly improve Boston's top end talent.  That is what the team needs to do.  Improve the talent. 

[perks-a-beast]

I'm leaning toward Whiteside at this point.  He does everything Howard can, but better.

Cousins is the best offensive player, but the turnovers and technicals can be ugly, and the defense is spotty.

Plus, Cousy once wanted to send three first rounders for him, haha.

Whiteside is probably the best option right now, but I would view the signing as a band aid solution to the backup center spot, and would hope Brad would upgrade via trade during the season.

Honestly, I don't think we need more than a band-aid.  We just need somebody competent to rebound and play defense.

What type of backup center would you be looking for via trade?

Horford is 36, and Timelord is constantly injured. The frontline certainly needs to be upgraded. The lack of quality front court depth is a big reason why the Big 3 Celtics never repeated as champions, I'm not trying to go through that again.

Poeltl, Turner, Noel, Holmes are some names that pop in my head.

[Roy H.]

I'm leaning toward Whiteside at this point.  He does everything Howard can, but better.

Cousins is the best offensive player, but the turnovers and technicals can be ugly, and the defense is spotty.

Plus, Cousy once wanted to send three first rounders for him, haha.

Whiteside is probably the best option right now, but I would view the signing as a band aid solution to the backup center spot, and would hope Brad would upgrade via trade during the season.

Honestly, I don't think we need more than a band-aid.  We just need somebody competent to rebound and play defense.

What type of backup center would you be looking for via trade?

Horford is 36, and Timelord is constantly injured. The frontline certainly needs to be upgraded. The lack of quality front court depth is a big reason why the Big 3 Celtics never repeated as champions, I'm not trying to go through that again.

Poeltl, Turner, Noel, Holmes are some names that pop in my head.

I see.  I don't think you'll see us invest like that in the front court.  Even if we did, I'm not convinced that Noel or Holmes are appreciably better than Whiteside.

[Surferdad]

I'm leaning toward Whiteside at this point.  He does everything Howard can, but better.

Cousins is the best offensive player, but the turnovers and technicals can be ugly, and the defense is spotty.

Plus, Cousy once wanted to send three first rounders for him, haha.

Whiteside is probably the best option right now, but I would view the signing as a band aid solution to the backup center spot, and would hope Brad would upgrade via trade during the season.

Honestly, I don't think we need more than a band-aid.  We just need somebody competent to rebound and play defense.

What type of backup center would you be looking for via trade?

Horford is 36, and Timelord is constantly injured. The frontline certainly needs to be upgraded. The lack of quality front court depth is a big reason why the Big 3 Celtics never repeated as champions, I'm not trying to go through that again.

Poeltl, Turner, Noel, Holmes are some names that pop in my head.

I see.  I don't think you'll see us invest like that in the front court.  Even if we did, I'm not convinced that Noel or Holmes are appreciably better than Whiteside.

I really want no part of Whiteside.  I’ve wanted Noel on this team as a backup big who can defend for many years.

[liam]

JD!!!

[Jvalin]

You guys are vying over a bunch of scrubs. As long as KD is on the market, we should be aiming for the big fish. If we cannot acquire KD, we should be trying to facilitate a 3-way trade with the aim of landing Bam or Simmons. Personally speaking, I'd rather have Tatum, Brown and Bam over Tatum and KD. But that's just me.

Btw, I fully believe Horford is at his best when playing at the 5 (especially at this stage in his career). All we need is a 3rd string Center. Who cares? I'd be more than happy with a guy like Tony Bradley.

Per cleaningtheglass, Gallinari has played limited minutes at Center throughout his career. I'd expect him to provide cover at Center in case we face an injury crisis. If Nemanja Bjelica transformed into a stretch Center, I don't see why Gallo can't. After all, they are both the same height (6'10'').

How are you getting Bam without giving up Brown?

See page 17. Imo, Bam is a top 20ish player in the league. I consider him a better player than Brown. By extension, I consider him way better than either Timelord or Horford. If a deal like that is available, I believe we should pull the trigger. I'd happily throw in a second pick as well.

(click on image to enlarge)


KD's preferred destinations are Phoenix and Miami. I would assume the Heat would be willing to sacrifice Bam. Problem is, the Nets are not allowed to acquire Bam because of the Designated Rookie Extension rule. A third team would have to come into play. Enters Boston.

It's possible that the Heat would like us to be the 3rd team cause
a) we can send them a Bam replacement in Timelord
b) we can send Brooklyn a massive expiring in Horford

Tatum - Brown - Bam would be the best young core in the NBA!

Overpay which actually leaves us shallower, and IMO worse in the short-term too.

Disagree on the overpay. Agree on the worse in the short term.

I still do the deal despite getting worse in the short term because Bam, Jaylen and Tatum is a title contender year in year out for the next 7-10 years.

Well worth taking an immediate step backwards to open that long window of title contention.

Disagree on the ''worse in the short term'' part. As much as I like Horford/Timelord, we would be trading 2 quarters + pick(s) for a dollar. Bam is a top 20ish player in the NBA. Timelord/Horford are nowhere close that level. Depth is nice during the regular season, but it's way less important come playoff time.

9-man playoff rotation
PG: Smart - White
SG: Brogdon - White
SF: Brown - Grant
PF: Tatum - Grant/Gallo
C: Bam - buyout big

There's no doubt in my mind this would be a better team than the one we have right now.

Couldn't care less whether the deal favors the Heat. Good for them. People were saying the Nets were a lock to make the Finals last season, yet they got swept in the first round. The Fakers were favorites to make the Finals prior to the start of the season, yet they didn't even make the play-in games. All I care about is whether the deal makes the C's a better team a) now and b) in the future. Imo, the answer to both these questions is a resounding ''yes''.

Btw, it seems like the Heat continue their pursuit of KD. If a deal is to be made, chances are they gotta find a third team for either Bam or Simmons. Trading for Bam may be a realistic possibility.

[GreenShooter]

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?

[Roy H.]

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.

[Silas]

Whiteside looks like the perfect backup center for the Cs.  He still should be able to provide boards, blocks, and dunks.  Solid on D and offense around the basket.  Nice backup for Rob. 

[td450]

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.

[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.

[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.

[Vermont Green]

Whiteside looks like the perfect backup center for the Cs.  He still should be able to provide boards, blocks, and dunks.  Solid on D and offense around the basket.  Nice backup for Rob.

I agree.  He seems like he would be a very good fit.  Almost too good to be true.  There must be more to it than appears.  That is my fear.

But Whiteside is a UFA.  We can only offer a Vet Min contract.  I suspect that offer is on the table to him, from us and other teams (Lakers, Phoenix, etc. all seem like teams that would be interested).

[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.

[Surferdad]

Whiteside looks like the perfect backup center for the Cs.  He still should be able to provide boards, blocks, and dunks.  Solid on D and offense around the basket.  Nice backup for Rob.

I agree.  He seems like he would be a very good fit.  Almost too good to be true.  There must be more to it than appears.  That is my fear.

But Whiteside is a UFA.  We can only offer a Vet Min contract.  I suspect that offer is on the table to him, from us and other teams (Lakers, Phoenix, etc. all seem like teams that would be interested).

There is, he is a washed-up stiff who can't play defense.  Stay away, far far away Brad....