Frontcourt Is Going To Be An Issue This Postseason

[Moranis]

I never said our players suck. White has value.  More than Porzingis who GS traded Kuminga for. I think it is reasonable to assume the difference in value between white and kp is podz and a 1st vs. Hield. No idea if GS would have done that, but it was reasonable value.

Kuminga, Hauser, and 3 1st's for JJJ is definitely on par with what Utah gave up. Matter of preference for Memphis at that point in what they preferred. 

Again, the drive to get out of the tax made all of that impossible.  It was never explored.  No way to knwi what might have been out there if you aren't looking at it. 

[Vermont Green]

I never said our players suck. White has value.  More than Porzingis who GS traded Kuminga for. I think it is reasonable to assume the difference in value between white and kp is podz and a 1st vs. Hield. No idea if GS would have done that, but it was reasonable value.

Kuminga, Hauser, and 3 1st's for JJJ is definitely on par with what Utah gave up. Matter of preference for Memphis at that point in what they preferred. 

Again, the drive to get out of the tax made all of that impossible.  It was never explored.  No way to know what might have been out there if you aren't looking at it.

Moranis, I am not sure who you are debating on this.  First, do you agree or not that trading Simons for Vucevic was a good trade?  That can be graded or judged all by itself.  It does not make anything else BOS did or didn't do good or bad.  I like this trade.  We would be worse off without him, this series and in general.  I don't think this is part of the debate.

Then it is a question of what else they could have done, whether they passed on other deals due to finances or just plain didn't even look at other things.  You seem to be convinced that they never explored other deals, that they didn't even look for other deals.  I find this a little hard to believe.  I don't know of course (any more than you can know), but I suspect they did plenty of exploring and looking at things.

You have offered a couple of examples (Kuminga or Jaren Jackson) as examples that demonstrate there were deals out there, while conceding (I think) that neither of these specific deals would make sense or be doable.  I believe they probably checked in on both these possibilities.  I don't see Kuminga or Jackson making the team better this season.  Jackson had surgery and has been out the whole time.  Maybe you go all in for him if the team was at 0.500 at the deadline and Tatum is not looking like he is coming back, with an eye towards next season.

[Moranis]

I don't actually think Simons for Vucevuc was a good trade.  It wasn't a bad trade either, I just wouldn't call it a good one.   Vucevic simply isn't good fit for the way Boston plays.  He isn't a good defender and offensively he works best playing inside which is not how Boston plays.  If dropping slaray wasn't a big part of the deadline moves, I think the team could have had a much better player or players utilizing Simons contract. 

The team decided over the summer they were going to make the team worse and get out of the tax. Reasonable at that time, my issue is they should have changed the plan at the deadline after seeing how the season was playing out.  They didn't change course at all. Just stayed with the summer plan and they should not have. 

[Phantom255x]

Vucevic can walk this offseason, and then Brad has to find a legit big man because Queta/Garza are okay as the 2nd and 3rd bigs (Amari Williams as a developing 4th guy) but this series and the state of the NBA shows Queta probably can't be our best guy. KAT/Embiid/Wemby/Jokic and others exist and you have to combat that.

[ozgod]

And now we know why Brad didn?t reinforce this team. They?re like the Cavaliers of two years ago that won 60+ games then folded in the playoffs. I doubt there was anyone we could get who could have moved the needle enough. I think next year will be another reset year and then we?ll head into 2027 with the Repeater tax reset.

[keevsnick]

They need a better center. I don't know who, but Queta should be the backup heading into next season. He' be one of the ebts back ups in the league, but as a backup his foul issues are a lot less of a killer.

[jambr380]

Vucevic did not even play one minute tonight. Kind of says all you need to know about how Joe values him. Again, strictly a deal to cut salary.

And whatever on that I guess, but it?s disappointing that we are now sitting with the 27th pick in the draft after that mess of a series

[Phantom255x]

I didn't want to say it in case of jinxes (which... it didn't matter anyways as we saw), but KAT/Robinson next round would have absolutely wrecked out frontcourt too. And trying smallball on Mitchell Robinson in particular would have truly looked like a grown man vs. a toddler.

Brad's got his work cut out for him. Queta/Garza/Williams are fine depth but you need a big man, someone playable in the playoffs too. We had Horford/Timelord/Porzingis for a while but this year's group felt more like the ones we had in the past with Kanter/Amir Johnson/Zeller/Olynyk which were not good enough and then got heavily exposed later on.

[Moranis]

Defensive PG seems like the bigger need.  There are far more super fast PG's like Maxey out there then there are big imposing centers like Embiid.  Boston could not defend Maxey.  Not a single person on the team had the ability to even slow him down.  At least the team could guard Embiid.  Not all that well, but at least something.  Maxey all series long just went right through Boston's defense.  Couldn't stay in front of him.  I feel like he could have averaged 50 in the series if he wanted to

[ozgod]

Defensive PG seems like the bigger need.  There are far more super fast PG's like Maxey out there then there are big imposing centers like Embiid.  Boston could not defend Maxey.  Not a single person on the team had the ability to even slow him down.  At least the team could guard Embiid.  Not all that well, but at least something.  Maxey all series long just went right through Boston's defense.  Couldn't stay in front of him.  I feel like he could have averaged 50 in the series if he wanted to

Yes we badly needed a point of attack defender. I'm also thinking that if Brad has limited choices he may have to make some hard choices about what to fix first. Because Q might be able to be worked on, he was creditable against Embiid except for the fouls, which at least is something to work on. We really struggled to defend the point of attack with Maxey.

[Who]

Defensive PG seems like the bigger need.  There are far more super fast PG's like Maxey out there then there are big imposing centers like Embiid.  Boston could not defend Maxey.  Not a single person on the team had the ability to even slow him down.  At least the team could guard Embiid.  Not all that well, but at least something.  Maxey all series long just went right through Boston's defense.  Couldn't stay in front of him.  I feel like he could have averaged 50 in the series if he wanted to

Kris Dunn?

Return of Marcus Smart?

[Celtics4ever]

Kris Dunn is beloved because he is from the area, but in all reality he is a NBA journeyman.

[Larry for 3]

And now we know why Brad didn?t reinforce this team. They?re like the Cavaliers of two years ago that won 60+ games then folded in the playoffs. I doubt there was anyone we could get who could have moved the needle enough. I think next year will be another reset year and then we?ll head into 2027 with the Repeater tax reset.

Cool. Another wasted year. That?s unacceptable for the franchise that is the Boston Celtics. Can?t keep throwing away seasons.

[Birdman]

Can?t win without a legit big man, had Al & Porzingis when won last time. Knicks would win if played them in 2nd round

[Neurotic Guy]

Can?t win without a legit big man, had Al & Porzingis when won last time. Knicks would win if played them in 2nd round

You?re right about needing a big man but gotta be curious about Quetas ceiling.  He shows moves inside, hands, energy, work ethic. He has defensive skills but needs to deal with the fouling. Still young and made enormous growth last year and this. He could take another leap.
And after watching the last three games no doubt Knicks would have won, so I guess it?s nice not to live through that.