Time for a change?

[Roy H.]

When they reset the repeater tax, it'll allow them the following year to potentially go for it and add 2 significant players (or 1 significant player + 1 great role player type)

In what way? 

[Moranis]

Giannis at center is a bad idea.  The team would need to sign a stretch center to start.  Someone that can give 20 mpg or so and keep spacing and allow Giannis to at least start at PF with Tatum at SF.  Giannis can play some at center, but he shouldn't start there.

You don't think that Giannis at Center is a major improvement over Queta at Center?  Why is it OK to have a PF who doesn't stretch the floor but not a center?  This doesn't make sense to me.  I get that Giannis is not an efficient 3-point shooter, but he wasn't when he won the MVP and a title either.  I would be perfectly happy to have Giannis at Center or at PF, but for the Celtics, he makes more sense at Center.

I think what the limitation with Giannis is that if you have him as your PF, you need a center who can shoot, at least some.  Or the other way around, if Giannis is your Center, then you would want a PF who can shoot.  I say play Giannis at Center on BOS and make sure everyone else can shoot.

The defense is the problem.  Giannis can't take the physical strain of guarding centers and he is not going to have the same effect, especially with Tatum next to him.  Even offensively it will wear on him playing the bigger guys.

[Goldstar88]

Giannis at center is a bad idea.  The team would need to sign a stretch center to start.  Someone that can give 20 mpg or so and keep spacing and allow Giannis to at least start at PF with Tatum at SF.  Giannis can play some at center, but he shouldn't start there.

You don't think that Giannis at Center is a major improvement over Queta at Center?  Why is it OK to have a PF who doesn't stretch the floor but not a center?  This doesn't make sense to me.  I get that Giannis is not an efficient 3-point shooter, but he wasn't when he won the MVP and a title either.  I would be perfectly happy to have Giannis at Center or at PF, but for the Celtics, he makes more sense at Center.

I think what the limitation with Giannis is that if you have him as your PF, you need a center who can shoot, at least some.  Or the other way around, if Giannis is your Center, then you would want a PF who can shoot.  I say play Giannis at Center on BOS and make sure everyone else can shoot.

The defense is the problem.  Giannis can't take the physical strain of guarding centers and he is not going to have the same effect, especially with Tatum next to him.  Even offensively it will wear on him playing the bigger guys.

If KAT can play Center, so can Giannis.

[Vermont Green]

Giannis at center is a bad idea.  The team would need to sign a stretch center to start.  Someone that can give 20 mpg or so and keep spacing and allow Giannis to at least start at PF with Tatum at SF.  Giannis can play some at center, but he shouldn't start there.

You don't think that Giannis at Center is a major improvement over Queta at Center?  Why is it OK to have a PF who doesn't stretch the floor but not a center?  This doesn't make sense to me.  I get that Giannis is not an efficient 3-point shooter, but he wasn't when he won the MVP and a title either.  I would be perfectly happy to have Giannis at Center or at PF, but for the Celtics, he makes more sense at Center.

I think what the limitation with Giannis is that if you have him as your PF, you need a center who can shoot, at least some.  Or the other way around, if Giannis is your Center, then you would want a PF who can shoot.  I say play Giannis at Center on BOS and make sure everyone else can shoot.

The defense is the problem.  Giannis can't take the physical strain of guarding centers and he is not going to have the same effect, especially with Tatum next to him.  Even offensively it will wear on him playing the bigger guys.

First you said offense was the problem. That he couldn?t stretch the floor. Now you are saying defense is the problem. I don?t buy either. Defending centers might be easier. It depends on the matchup. There aren?t very many big bruising centers these days.

[Moranis]

Giannis at center is a bad idea.  The team would need to sign a stretch center to start.  Someone that can give 20 mpg or so and keep spacing and allow Giannis to at least start at PF with Tatum at SF.  Giannis can play some at center, but he shouldn't start there.

You don't think that Giannis at Center is a major improvement over Queta at Center?  Why is it OK to have a PF who doesn't stretch the floor but not a center?  This doesn't make sense to me.  I get that Giannis is not an efficient 3-point shooter, but he wasn't when he won the MVP and a title either.  I would be perfectly happy to have Giannis at Center or at PF, but for the Celtics, he makes more sense at Center.

I think what the limitation with Giannis is that if you have him as your PF, you need a center who can shoot, at least some.  Or the other way around, if Giannis is your Center, then you would want a PF who can shoot.  I say play Giannis at Center on BOS and make sure everyone else can shoot.

The defense is the problem.  Giannis can't take the physical strain of guarding centers and he is not going to have the same effect, especially with Tatum next to him.  Even offensively it will wear on him playing the bigger guys.

If KAT can play Center, so can Giannis.

Of course Giannis can play center, I just don't think he should.  I don't think his body can handle it and frankly I don't really want Tatum playing at PF full time either for many of the same reasons.  Giannis shouldn't be banging in the paint trying to guard Jokic, Embiid, etc.  Even guys like Hartenstein will physically just wear him down and he is old and his body already has some issues.  Having him take on that extra strain, I just don't think is a good idea. 

Also, just for the record Towns is taller, heavier, and younger than Giannis. And then on offense, Towns isn't a focal point and plays a lot on the perimeter so he doesn't take the beating on offense and doesn't have the same workload.  Even if Giannis had Tatum next to him, he'd still have to do far more than Towns has to do in NY offensively.

[Moranis]

Giannis at center is a bad idea.  The team would need to sign a stretch center to start.  Someone that can give 20 mpg or so and keep spacing and allow Giannis to at least start at PF with Tatum at SF.  Giannis can play some at center, but he shouldn't start there.

You don't think that Giannis at Center is a major improvement over Queta at Center?  Why is it OK to have a PF who doesn't stretch the floor but not a center?  This doesn't make sense to me.  I get that Giannis is not an efficient 3-point shooter, but he wasn't when he won the MVP and a title either.  I would be perfectly happy to have Giannis at Center or at PF, but for the Celtics, he makes more sense at Center.

I think what the limitation with Giannis is that if you have him as your PF, you need a center who can shoot, at least some.  Or the other way around, if Giannis is your Center, then you would want a PF who can shoot.  I say play Giannis at Center on BOS and make sure everyone else can shoot.

The defense is the problem.  Giannis can't take the physical strain of guarding centers and he is not going to have the same effect, especially with Tatum next to him.  Even offensively it will wear on him playing the bigger guys.

First you said offense was the problem. That he couldn?t stretch the floor. Now you are saying defense is the problem. I don?t buy either. Defending centers might be easier. It depends on the matchup. There aren?t very many big bruising centers these days.

I didn't say offense was the problem, but you can't start Queta with Giannis because then offense would be the problem so you have to sign a different style of center to start with Giannis.

Giannis is 6'11" 243, that isn't big for centers.  As I just mentioned in my last post, even someone like Towns is taller and heavier than Giannis and Towns isn't exactly a bruiser.  Having big bodies on you takes its toll, especially for someone who is 31, will be entering his 13th year, and with the work load he has. Giannis at center is just a bad idea in my view.  He won't hold up physically and for many of the same reasons, I really don't want Tatum playing PF full time either.  It is different with Brown next to Tatum than it would be with a player like Hauser. 

So if the team acquires Giannis for Brown, I'd want them to use the MLE on a stretch center that can start.  Doesn't have to be a great player, but needs to be someone that is like the center equivalent to Hauser.  Give the team a solid 20 mpg.  Rest of the center minutes can go to Queta and Garza.  You make do with the awkward fit of Queta and Giannis just not in the starting lineup.

[Goldstar88]

Giannis at center is a bad idea.  The team would need to sign a stretch center to start.  Someone that can give 20 mpg or so and keep spacing and allow Giannis to at least start at PF with Tatum at SF.  Giannis can play some at center, but he shouldn't start there.

You don't think that Giannis at Center is a major improvement over Queta at Center?  Why is it OK to have a PF who doesn't stretch the floor but not a center?  This doesn't make sense to me.  I get that Giannis is not an efficient 3-point shooter, but he wasn't when he won the MVP and a title either.  I would be perfectly happy to have Giannis at Center or at PF, but for the Celtics, he makes more sense at Center.

I think what the limitation with Giannis is that if you have him as your PF, you need a center who can shoot, at least some.  Or the other way around, if Giannis is your Center, then you would want a PF who can shoot.  I say play Giannis at Center on BOS and make sure everyone else can shoot.

The defense is the problem.  Giannis can't take the physical strain of guarding centers and he is not going to have the same effect, especially with Tatum next to him.  Even offensively it will wear on him playing the bigger guys.

If KAT can play Center, so can Giannis.

Of course Giannis can play center, I just don't think he should.  I don't think his body can handle it and frankly I don't really want Tatum playing at PF full time either for many of the same reasons.  Giannis shouldn't be banging in the paint trying to guard Jokic, Embiid, etc.  Even guys like Hartenstein will physically just wear him down and he is old and his body already has some issues.  Having him take on that extra strain, I just don't think is a good idea. 

Also, just for the record Towns is taller, heavier, and younger than Giannis. And then on offense, Towns isn't a focal point and plays a lot on the perimeter so he doesn't take the beating on offense and doesn't have the same workload.  Even if Giannis had Tatum next to him, he'd still have to do far more than Towns has to do in NY offensively.

There are only a couple of starting centers bigger than Giannis in the East. KAT is 1 inch taller and 5lbs heavier. Not worried about it.

[No Nickname]

The Ringer: From what I heard, they made an offer in the past week. @BillSimmons and @ZachLowe_NBA discuss the latest on the potential of Boston making a move for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bill Simmons: I think they dove in. From what I heard, they made an offer in the past week, a couple of days before I mentioned it on Thursday. I don?t know what the offer was, and I don?t know who?s in it. But they are in, the hat was in the ring, which I was really surprised by, as I said on Thursday, because I thought they were sitting it out. And I don?t know, Do you think something changed. Do you think they looked at this from every angle, or that they realized oh, that?s it from the Miami offer? We can beat that. Like what would have changed their mindset? Because I do not think they were in on Giannis at the beginning of the offseason.

Bill Simmons really just makes a platform out of saying a bunch of nothing and "I don't knows". Wild

I'd be more interested if Lowe added any input or what he heard but it sounds like he didn't really say anything of substance either implying he's not really sure or hasn't heard any significant developments.

Seems tho that this line of narrative is lining up from a lot of folks that cover the NBA. I do expect it will be done by the draft to someone. I still do not believe Boston trades Brown. I think Brad tweaks the fringes with mid level and cheap depth and they run it back pretty much as it.

I still think the Cs are gearing up for 2027. At the end of the day the line of thinking for this upcoming season from Brad will be Tatum will be back healthy, another year of development for Hugo and Baylor and they add a first round pick. Probably try to add a servicable big and they go from there.

Personally I'm fine with that plan. When they reset the repeater tax, it'll allow them the following year to potentially go for it and add 2 significant players (or 1 significant player + 1 great role player type) to Jaylen/Tatum/PP/Queta + maybe White. Similar to adding Jrue/KP in 2024.

Giannis to me besides some of the scheme fits and questions also concerns me from an injury standpoint, and he's 32 now. I also think it's not bad to unleash Baylor, Queta, Hugo and Harper this next season and keep developing them.

They can still add 2 solid players (1 big man) with the help of the TPE and MLE, like you said.

I like Queta as a back up big. Not a starter. I would like to see Hauser moved. I think Baylor can do everything he does and more. Hugo has to learn how to shoot and Joe needs to be more consistent with his minutes. I have no idea what Harper is yet but I am curious if he can grind out a spot.

Your assessment of Hauser vs Baylor is waaaaaaaaay off.  Baylor's defense is atrocious.  Hauser is light years ahead of him defensively.

And offensively, neither of them do anything off the dribble.  They're both spot-up shooters.  And Hauser has proven his worth over several years while Baylor has had only one year of so-so success.

They both shot 39% from 3 last year. 

Hauser averaging 9.2ppg in 24.8mpg.

Baylor averaging 5.5ppg in 18.6mpg.

Their rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals were virtually identical, just a few .01% difference. 

Give me the guy who's shot 41% from 3 for five years, and plays way better defense.  Baylor is a turnstile.

Sam is a one trick pony. If he can't make 3's he is pointless out there. Baylor at least can move. Sam is wooden.

Baylor does rebound. He does hustle. Sam stands around. And Sam has been virtually invisible come playoffs.

I have no problem with Sam coming off the bench. But he is not a starter for this team.

Agree to disagree.  Baylor is one-dimensional with bad defense in my eyes.

At least Hauser holds his own with defending SFs.

[No Nickname]

I think Brad really wants Giannis and Trey Murphy out of this somehow

This is nearly impossible in my view.  I see no way that BOS gets Giannis without Brown in the deal.  So that would mean you have to trade White to get Murphy, which does not make sense for either team.

I see these as mutually exclusive, if BOS gets Giannis, they are not going to get any of these NOP players too.  Or is they decide to do a trade with NOP for Murphy with Zion or Murray for Brown, that means Giannis is going somewhere else.

I don't know, I can see it. It would need to be another 3-team deal with White going somewhere, but I think White does have the value to get that done. We always have the TPE, but I don't think we are going to have enough picks to get it done without any player assets.

If this did happen - Brown and White for Giannis and Murphy - we would need to get really lucky on a guard signing. Like, the Wolves don't want to commit full nontaxpayer MLE money to Dosunmu lucky. I like guys like Simons and Coby White, but defense at the guard spot would immediately become a priority.

Doesn?t Brads job become a lot easier once the BIG issue is so much closer to addressed? All-NBA level 2-way bigs don?t grow on trees.

Yeah, a lot easier to find a guard than it is to find a two-way center. I'd happily take KP back at the MLE, but we haven't heard anything about that. Even with Giannis, I'd take KP and then make a trade for a guard

I like this. Theoretically KP would be a great compliment to Giannis, as a big who can shoot the three and open up the lane.

If that happens, Tatum could start at SF, but then on the first sub KP comes out and Giannis shifts to C, Tatum back to PF. 

Then Queta as the third big who gets meaningful time (KP/Giannis/Queta).

The Queta/Tatum front court could be really effective too.

[Roy H.]

Until the playoffs last year, I thought that  Scheierman's defense was pretty good.  His D sucked in the playoffs, but he was solid during the season.

https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-061826-baylor-scheierman-has-developed-into-an-elite-shooter-and-underrated-defender

[No Nickname]

Until the playoffs last year, I thought that  Scheierman's defense was pretty good.  His D sucked in the playoffs, but he was solid during the season.

https://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar-061826-baylor-scheierman-has-developed-into-an-elite-shooter-and-underrated-defender

Perhaps I?m judging his defense too harshly based on the playoffs, where I thought he was a disaster.

While he may have improved from his rookie season, I just think Hauser has been good defensively (not great but good) for the past four seasons.

[Moranis]

Giannis at center is a bad idea.  The team would need to sign a stretch center to start.  Someone that can give 20 mpg or so and keep spacing and allow Giannis to at least start at PF with Tatum at SF.  Giannis can play some at center, but he shouldn't start there.

You don't think that Giannis at Center is a major improvement over Queta at Center?  Why is it OK to have a PF who doesn't stretch the floor but not a center?  This doesn't make sense to me.  I get that Giannis is not an efficient 3-point shooter, but he wasn't when he won the MVP and a title either.  I would be perfectly happy to have Giannis at Center or at PF, but for the Celtics, he makes more sense at Center.

I think what the limitation with Giannis is that if you have him as your PF, you need a center who can shoot, at least some.  Or the other way around, if Giannis is your Center, then you would want a PF who can shoot.  I say play Giannis at Center on BOS and make sure everyone else can shoot.

The defense is the problem.  Giannis can't take the physical strain of guarding centers and he is not going to have the same effect, especially with Tatum next to him.  Even offensively it will wear on him playing the bigger guys.

If KAT can play Center, so can Giannis.

Of course Giannis can play center, I just don't think he should.  I don't think his body can handle it and frankly I don't really want Tatum playing at PF full time either for many of the same reasons.  Giannis shouldn't be banging in the paint trying to guard Jokic, Embiid, etc.  Even guys like Hartenstein will physically just wear him down and he is old and his body already has some issues.  Having him take on that extra strain, I just don't think is a good idea. 

Also, just for the record Towns is taller, heavier, and younger than Giannis. And then on offense, Towns isn't a focal point and plays a lot on the perimeter so he doesn't take the beating on offense and doesn't have the same workload.  Even if Giannis had Tatum next to him, he'd still have to do far more than Towns has to do in NY offensively.

There are only a couple of starting centers bigger than Giannis in the East. KAT is 1 inch taller and 5lbs heavier. Not worried about it.

There is a big difference between guys like Tobias Harris, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby vs. Jalen Duren, Jakob Poeltl, and Towns.  It adds up over the course of a season and Giannis has had a hard time staying healthy already and that isn't even counting for the really heavy centers like Embiid who are much bigger than Giannis.

Giannis is a PF.  That is where he has the most advantages on both sides of the floor and where he will get less wear and tear.  And he needs less wear and tear.

[Goldstar88]

Giannis at center is a bad idea.  The team would need to sign a stretch center to start.  Someone that can give 20 mpg or so and keep spacing and allow Giannis to at least start at PF with Tatum at SF.  Giannis can play some at center, but he shouldn't start there.

You don't think that Giannis at Center is a major improvement over Queta at Center?  Why is it OK to have a PF who doesn't stretch the floor but not a center?  This doesn't make sense to me.  I get that Giannis is not an efficient 3-point shooter, but he wasn't when he won the MVP and a title either.  I would be perfectly happy to have Giannis at Center or at PF, but for the Celtics, he makes more sense at Center.

I think what the limitation with Giannis is that if you have him as your PF, you need a center who can shoot, at least some.  Or the other way around, if Giannis is your Center, then you would want a PF who can shoot.  I say play Giannis at Center on BOS and make sure everyone else can shoot.

The defense is the problem.  Giannis can't take the physical strain of guarding centers and he is not going to have the same effect, especially with Tatum next to him.  Even offensively it will wear on him playing the bigger guys.

If KAT can play Center, so can Giannis.

Of course Giannis can play center, I just don't think he should.  I don't think his body can handle it and frankly I don't really want Tatum playing at PF full time either for many of the same reasons.  Giannis shouldn't be banging in the paint trying to guard Jokic, Embiid, etc.  Even guys like Hartenstein will physically just wear him down and he is old and his body already has some issues.  Having him take on that extra strain, I just don't think is a good idea. 

Also, just for the record Towns is taller, heavier, and younger than Giannis. And then on offense, Towns isn't a focal point and plays a lot on the perimeter so he doesn't take the beating on offense and doesn't have the same workload.  Even if Giannis had Tatum next to him, he'd still have to do far more than Towns has to do in NY offensively.

There are only a couple of starting centers bigger than Giannis in the East. KAT is 1 inch taller and 5lbs heavier. Not worried about it.

There is a big difference between guys like Tobias Harris, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby vs. Jalen Duren, Jakob Poeltl, and Towns.  It adds up over the course of a season and Giannis has had a hard time staying healthy already and that isn't even counting for the really heavy centers like Embiid who are much bigger than Giannis.

Giannis is a PF.  That is where he has the most advantages on both sides of the floor and where he will get less wear and tear.  And he needs less wear and tear.

Giannis is about 1 inch shorter and and 5lbs lighter than KAT and Jakob. He is actually taller than Duran. Guess Jarrett Allen shouldn?t be playing Center. I mean, he is only
6?9/240lbs.