Am I the only one wanting more?

[ozgod]

Not getting by Milwaukee as is.

What end of bench players could we get that would tip the scales for us and help us get past Milwaukee though?

[Roy H.]

Not getting by Milwaukee as is.

What end of bench players could we get that would tip the scales for us and help us get past Milwaukee though?

We got by Milwaukee last year.  We had a better record than Milwaukee.  We’ve added Brogdon and Gallinari, while they’ve added Ingles.

I think we’re fine.

[Neurotic Guy]

Not getting by Milwaukee as is.

You sound sure about that.

Tatum-Giannis
Brown-Middleton
Brogdon- Holliday

From there the Cs have Rob, Smart, Horford, White, Grant, Gallinari, Pritchard. 

Could the Bucks beat the Cs - of course they could, but you seem sure they will.  Cs look pretty solid to me as is, and Brad isn’t done.

[Moranis]

I don't think Boston needs a wing, per se, but if the right guy comes along sure.  They absolutely need a big guy though. 

This is the way I generally see the roster playing out

Playoff Rotation (tighter/more minutes)

PG - Smart 36, White 12
SG - Brown 24, Brogdon 24
SF - Tatum 34, Brown 14
PF - Horford 12, Grant 30, Tatum 6
C - Rob 30, Horford 18

Grant is the problem and that is a bigger issue in the regular season when the minutes are lessened.  Grant shouldn't be playing that many minutes and I don't want Tatum playing many more than 6 at PF.  There is also a huge issue if either Rob or Al goes down.  That rotation completely cuts Pritchard out and White doesn't play all that much.  Adding a wing just makes that worse.  Again you don't pass on talent, like a TJ Warren at a vet minimum contract, but the focus shouldn't be on a wing.

The team needs at least 1 big man and frankly probably 2.  Maybe one of them is Bryant, but he is so injury prone he makes Rob look like an ironman. Plus, he also isn't that good and can't play PF at all.

I'd take a look at Dwight Howard.  And I know he can't play PF, but I think he is the right kind of player for the team i.e. a guy that will rebound, block shots, and can handle a lob.  Team needs some toughness down low.  He is the right guy.

Feel like JB and JT are going to get worn out playing that many minutes in the postseason.

PG: Smart(30) White(18)
SG: Brown(30), Brogdon(18)
SF: Tatum(30) Brogdon (9), Brown(6)
PF: Horford (20) Grant(22) Tatum(6)
C:  Timelord (32) Horford(10) Grant(6)

36 minutes in the playoffs from your 2 best players just isn't enough.  Those are regular season minutes, not playoff ones.

Also, your minutes don't add up right (45 at SF) and in that rotation why is Brogdon playing SF when he is in the game with Brown.  And Grant at center, Tatum at PF, with Brown, Brogdon, and Smart is way to small a lineup that they should never use regularly.

The team absolutely needs 2 big men

Edit: I forgot about Gallinari, he helps as he can play PF.  I'd rather Howard than Bryant though as the other bench big.

[Moranis]

Not getting by Milwaukee as is.

What end of bench players could we get that would tip the scales for us and help us get past Milwaukee though?

We got by Milwaukee last year.  We had a better record than Milwaukee.  We’ve added Brogdon and Gallinari, while they’ve added Ingles.

I think we’re fine.

they also added Middleton to the team that lost to Boston.  Brogdon certainly helps but he is obviously not as good as Middleton

[Neurotic Guy]

Not getting by Milwaukee as is.

What end of bench players could we get that would tip the scales for us and help us get past Milwaukee though?

We got by Milwaukee last year.  We had a better record than Milwaukee.  We’ve added Brogdon and Gallinari, while they’ve added Ingles.

I think we’re fine.

they also added Middleton to the team that lost to Boston.  Brogdon certainly helps but he is obviously not as good as Middleton

Rob was pretty much a non-factor in that series.  He’s more injury prone than Middleton but presuming both are healthy I’d say Brogdon + Rob > Middleton.

But it’s all a silly argument - at this point I wouldn’t bet against either team.

[tenn_smoothie]

We still need rebounding !!!!

Plus RobW and Brogdan are exremely injury prone.

[gouki88]

I don't think Boston needs a wing, per se, but if the right guy comes along sure.  They absolutely need a big guy though. 

This is the way I generally see the roster playing out

Playoff Rotation (tighter/more minutes)

PG - Smart 36, White 12
SG - Brown 24, Brogdon 24
SF - Tatum 34, Brown 14
PF - Horford 12, Grant 30, Tatum 6
C - Rob 30, Horford 18

Grant is the problem and that is a bigger issue in the regular season when the minutes are lessened.  Grant shouldn't be playing that many minutes and I don't want Tatum playing many more than 6 at PF.  There is also a huge issue if either Rob or Al goes down.  That rotation completely cuts Pritchard out and White doesn't play all that much.  Adding a wing just makes that worse.  Again you don't pass on talent, like a TJ Warren at a vet minimum contract, but the focus shouldn't be on a wing.

The team needs at least 1 big man and frankly probably 2.  Maybe one of them is Bryant, but he is so injury prone he makes Rob look like an ironman. Plus, he also isn't that good and can't play PF at all.

I'd take a look at Dwight Howard.  And I know he can't play PF, but I think he is the right kind of player for the team i.e. a guy that will rebound, block shots, and can handle a lob.  Team needs some toughness down low.  He is the right guy.

Where is Gallo?

[ozgod]

   I can’t express how little I care about billionaires and their money.  Obviously the Celtics are very close so if it’s worth winning the title paying a severe tax I hope they do it. I’m not gonna complain up and down if they don’t spend much more but I certainly won’t have any love for them.
   They wouldn’t pay Posey which could have been the reason not winning it in 2009 if KG DIDN’T go down. I was pretty blown away they took that risk when they did.

Chris Forsberg at NBC Sports Boston outlined what would happen tax wise if they did spend the TPE.

After a full year of speculation about what the Celtics might do with the $17.1 million traded player exception generated in the Evan Fournier sign and trade, there is the very real chance it could vaporize without use on July 18.

That would be a bad thing if Boston hadn’t splurged to land Brogdon, adding $67.6 million in salary over the next three seasons. The Celtics are now committed to nearly $170 million in contracts for these 12 players (with 2022-23 contract value):

Jayson Tatum -- $30.4M
Jaylen Brown -- $28.7M
Al Horford -- $26.5M
Malcolm Brogdon -- $22.6M
Marcus Smart -- $17.2M
Derrick White -- $16.4M
Robert Williams -- $10.7M
Danilo Gallinari -- $6.5M
Grant Williams -- $4.3M
Payton Pritchard -- $2.1M
Luke Kornet -- $2.1M
Sam Hauser -- $1.9M

The Celtics can remain relatively opportunistic with the TPE. If there’s a low-cost player who's worth adding, the team can pounce via trade. But at $20 million over the tax line with no pain-free means to shed salary along the 2022-23 journey, the Celtics might be at their spending limit. Boston is projected to be at nearly $225 million in total commitment when projecting their tax bill given the elevated rates that come the further you wade into tax waters.

Which is to say it’s hard to see the Celtics taking on, as an example, another $8 million player via the TPE, as it would push their total spend to roughly $260 million. The Celtics are essentially paying at least $3.75 million per $1 million spent for every dollar spent after $20 million over the tax.

Now, Boston has paid four second-round picks to keep a big TPE alive through its incarnations with Gordon Hayward and Fournier. Still, it’s a sunk cost and it gave the Celtics an alternate way to add high-level talent if the Brogdon deal had never materialized. The cost to acquire Brogdon was so low that Boston can stomach losing the TPE if there’s no way to kick it further down the road.

The Celtics could use the TPE to find a defensive-minded wing or third center to fill out the roster but only if those players were worth splurging a draft asset and represent something over what’s attainable with a minimum contract on the free-agent market.

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/extensions-for-jaylen-brown-and-grant-williams-among-things-the-celtics-need-to-still-address

Hard to see them spending another $35m for a $8m player who might just sit the pine. Or $70m to use the whole thing. Unless they find someone good enough to replace someone on the 9-11 man rotation, in which case they just decide to do a trade. Vet mins are probably the most likely additions.

Of course if Wyc wants to spend an extra $35m-$70m to have someone at the end of the bench as insurance, I would be happy for him to do so - it's not my money  

[GreenlyGreeny]

We add the TPE, we’re that much closer to a championship. The Bucks and Warriors are just as good as us, and a fourth team could join the party if they can land KD without gutting their team. We need to go all-in and use those seconds, alongside a swap perhaps, to land a good wing to backup JT or a good big who can spell Timelord/Horford. I would target Markkanen, who can spell all three, is under contract three years, is only 25, adds some rebounding, and can eventually replace Horford in the starting lineup.

The merchandise for JT alone after winning a title is bound to pay for the tax and then some. This close is not the time to go cheap. It’s no time for half-measures. There’s relief next year when Horford comes back for $10 million/yr. or something like that.

[gouki88]

We add the TPE, we’re that much closer to a championship. The Bucks and Warriors are just as good as us, and a fourth team could join the party if they can land KD without gutting their team. We need to go all-in and use those seconds, alongside a swap perhaps, to land a good wing to backup JT or a good big who can spell Timelord/Horford. I would target Markkanen, who can spell all three, is under contract three years, is only 25, adds some rebounding, and can eventually replace Horford in the starting lineup.

The merchandise for JT alone after winning a title is bound to pay for the tax and then some. This close is not the time to go cheap. It’s no time for half-measures. There’s relief next year when Horford comes back for $10 million/yr. or something like that.

It's not some guarantee that a TPE calibre player would necessarily want to be on a very limited bench role, which is precisely the kind of role that anyone we add would have here. It could be very disruptive for chemistry, similar to '18.

We have a very good, balanced, and deep roster. We have turned Theis and Nesmith into Brogdon and Gallo.

[GreenBoomer]

I hope I'm wrong. I just think we need another big in case Rob or AL go down. It's like in the 70's, if Cowens is out Hank Finkel is in.

[GreenlyGreeny]

We add the TPE, we’re that much closer to a championship. The Bucks and Warriors are just as good as us, and a fourth team could join the party if they can land KD without gutting their team. We need to go all-in and use those seconds, alongside a swap perhaps, to land a good wing to backup JT or a good big who can spell Timelord/Horford. I would target Markkanen, who can spell all three, is under contract three years, is only 25, adds some rebounding, and can eventually replace Horford in the starting lineup.

The merchandise for JT alone after winning a title is bound to pay for the tax and then some. This close is not the time to go cheap. It’s no time for half-measures. There’s relief next year when Horford comes back for $10 million/yr. or something like that.

It's not some guarantee that a TPE calibre player would necessarily want to be on a very limited bench role, which is precisely the kind of role that anyone we add would have here. It could be very disruptive for chemistry, similar to '18.

We have a very good, balanced, and deep roster. We have turned Theis and Nesmith into Brogdon and Gallo.

This is a great point. If we added a big through the TPE, someone like Wendell Carter or Marvin Bagley, I’d suggest we start Horford but have that other big play as many minutes as Horford (a la 2014 Tim Duncan-load management). Heck, maybe even average more MPG than Horford by splitting time with Horford/Timelord. The obvious promise is that they’d start in 2023-2024 whether or not Horford comes back. That kind of minimizes the likelihood of chemistry issues, particularly when we consider how frequently injured Timelord is. Another big would still get plenty of minutes, I suspect. Maybe we have an issue with a wing or guard being brought in with the TPE, but I think we’d be ok with a big.

[GreenBoomer]

Exactly. Keep the bigs fresh for the long haul.

[Moranis]

I don't think Boston needs a wing, per se, but if the right guy comes along sure.  They absolutely need a big guy though. 

This is the way I generally see the roster playing out

Playoff Rotation (tighter/more minutes)

PG - Smart 36, White 12
SG - Brown 24, Brogdon 24
SF - Tatum 34, Brown 14
PF - Horford 12, Grant 30, Tatum 6
C - Rob 30, Horford 18

Grant is the problem and that is a bigger issue in the regular season when the minutes are lessened.  Grant shouldn't be playing that many minutes and I don't want Tatum playing many more than 6 at PF.  There is also a huge issue if either Rob or Al goes down.  That rotation completely cuts Pritchard out and White doesn't play all that much.  Adding a wing just makes that worse.  Again you don't pass on talent, like a TJ Warren at a vet minimum contract, but the focus shouldn't be on a wing.

The team needs at least 1 big man and frankly probably 2.  Maybe one of them is Bryant, but he is so injury prone he makes Rob look like an ironman. Plus, he also isn't that good and can't play PF at all.

I'd take a look at Dwight Howard.  And I know he can't play PF, but I think he is the right kind of player for the team i.e. a guy that will rebound, block shots, and can handle a lob.  Team needs some toughness down low.  He is the right guy.

Where is Gallo?

Yeah, I had missed him when I posted that and had edited a follow-up post to include him some.  He does help some.  I still think a big is far more important than a wing though even with Gallo.  And a big that has actually shown the ability to stay healthy unlike Bryant.  That is why I'd target Howard on a vet minimum deal.  I think he'd be interested in coming here and trying to win a title and there will be opponents where he is one of the most important guys on the floor (like say when playing Embiid).