Celtics sign O'bryant

[wdleehi]

Mark Blount plays lazy now, but when he was properly motivated before his pay day, he was a decent player and put up a good effort. If O'Bryant was the player Blount was, then this deal would be considered a steal.

I'm okay with Powe as our primary big man off the bench, and BBD's "girth" for when more size is needed. I understand its not ideal, but very few teams are perfect, and both Powe and BBD are quality players. (Hopefully BBD can up his intensity about conditioning and Powe can get better at the defensive rotations.)

The problem is it causes this team problems when playing very large teams.   Cleveland in the playoffs is a perfect example. 

Celtics need someone with more length (and have bulk) to throw at the large C when Perk is on the bench.

[hpantazo]

If the Celtics are contenders at the end of next season, I'd guess Danny will sign a big that is being bought out of their contract. These names would be my guess:

Brad Miller
Jerome James
Dan Gadzuric
Eric Dampier
Mark Blount  

I think you raise a good point -- there could be big men available towards the Feb trade deadline as players get bought out.  Add PJ Brown and Pollard to that list, and there could be others.

As MVP notes, there just aren't that many big men available to sign.  In addition to Kurt Thomas (who is really a PF) there is Brian Skinner and Francisco Elson.  I actually like both these players, but other than these two, no one else out there excites me.  Would one of these two be willing to come to the Cs for little money?  We'll see.

good point, and I would also add Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe to that list

[Scintan]

A probable stiff got signed for the sort of money you'd expect a probable stiff to be signed for.  He can be cut easily enough, so I don't really see the problem.

Now, on the other hand, if he prevents the team from signing an actual player in the future, he will have become an issue.  Until then, who cares?

[Mon]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/steve_aschburner/12/21/nelson/index.html

“Nelson always has been fascinated with "bigs," but rarely the traditional or All-Star variety. Instead, he has gone for the likes of Bol, Chris Anstey, Shawn Bradley, Wang Zhizhi or Dirk Nowitzki, arguably the league's ultimate perimeter 7-footer. Give him a low-post, back-to-the-basket, old-fashioned pivot man, though, and you'd almost expect Nellie to get bored.

The trend continues in Golden State, where the Warriors rely nearly as much in the middle on 6-foot-9 Al Harrington as they do on starting center Andris Biedrins, and where Nelson seems already to be down on 7-footer Patrick O'Bryant, the No. 9 pick overall in 2006.”

Just in case there was any doubt that Nelson can't, won't, or shouldn't coach bigs!

[SShoreFan 2.0]

Patrick O'Bryant



Did anyone else think of Sidney Poitier when they first read his name?

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'm still confused if we signed this guy to the minimum or not.

From the Herald:

The Celtics, who yesterday made official the signing of free agent center Patrick O’Bryant (two years at the NBA minimum), had very much wanted to keep Posey, but they would not go to a fourth year. Posey averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes during the regular season and dropped slightly to 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.0 in the playoffs.

From the Globe:

The Celtics signed the seldom-used 7-foot, 250-pound center yesterday to a two-year, $3 million contract, according to an NBA source. O'Bryant is expected to back up Kendrick Perkins. O'Bryant, 22, was the ninth pick in the 2006 NBA draft, but rarely played during two seasons with the Warriors.

So, which is it? Could it be possible that we're missing something on the vet. minimum rules that would allow for a 3mil. contract to be signed for this guy? Are these simply conflicting sources? Which is the correct one?

[lon3lytoaster]

I'm still confused if we signed this guy to the minimum or not.

From the Herald:

The Celtics, who yesterday made official the signing of free agent center Patrick O’Bryant (two years at the NBA minimum), had very much wanted to keep Posey, but they would not go to a fourth year. Posey averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes during the regular season and dropped slightly to 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.0 in the playoffs.

From the Globe:

The Celtics signed the seldom-used 7-foot, 250-pound center yesterday to a two-year, $3 million contract, according to an NBA source. O'Bryant is expected to back up Kendrick Perkins. O'Bryant, 22, was the ninth pick in the 2006 NBA draft, but rarely played during two seasons with the Warriors.

So, which is it? Could it be possible that we're missing something on the vet. minimum rules that would allow for a 3mil. contract to be signed for this guy? Are these simply conflicting sources? Which is the correct one?

It's three million total, with that second year as a team option. The vet's minimum is around 1.5M, I believe.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'm still confused if we signed this guy to the minimum or not.

From the Herald:

The Celtics, who yesterday made official the signing of free agent center Patrick O’Bryant (two years at the NBA minimum), had very much wanted to keep Posey, but they would not go to a fourth year. Posey averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes during the regular season and dropped slightly to 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.0 in the playoffs.

From the Globe:

The Celtics signed the seldom-used 7-foot, 250-pound center yesterday to a two-year, $3 million contract, according to an NBA source. O'Bryant is expected to back up Kendrick Perkins. O'Bryant, 22, was the ninth pick in the 2006 NBA draft, but rarely played during two seasons with the Warriors.

So, which is it? Could it be possible that we're missing something on the vet. minimum rules that would allow for a 3mil. contract to be signed for this guy? Are these simply conflicting sources? Which is the correct one?

It's three million total, with that second year as a team option. The vet's minimum is around 1.5M, I believe.

Not even a 10+ vet 1.5M.

[Roy Hobbs]

I'm still confused if we signed this guy to the minimum or not.

From the Herald:

The Celtics, who yesterday made official the signing of free agent center Patrick O’Bryant (two years at the NBA minimum), had very much wanted to keep Posey, but they would not go to a fourth year. Posey averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes during the regular season and dropped slightly to 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.0 in the playoffs.

From the Globe:

The Celtics signed the seldom-used 7-foot, 250-pound center yesterday to a two-year, $3 million contract, according to an NBA source. O'Bryant is expected to back up Kendrick Perkins. O'Bryant, 22, was the ninth pick in the 2006 NBA draft, but rarely played during two seasons with the Warriors.

So, which is it? Could it be possible that we're missing something on the vet. minimum rules that would allow for a 3mil. contract to be signed for this guy? Are these simply conflicting sources? Which is the correct one?

One of them has it wrong.

The minimum for O'Bryant is $797,581 this season and $855,189 next.  Two years, $1,652,740.

(As BudweiserCeltic alluded to, the vet minimum for a 10+ year veteran is only $1,262,275, which still isn't at the $1.5 million reported.)

[nickagneta]

One is definitely wrong and as of yet I have yet to see comfirmation of either the Herald's or the Globe's reporting from anyone else.

So the assumption that the LLE is no longer in play may not be accurate and for discussion purposes, until we hear otherwise, maybe we should keep the LLE option of signing another player open.

[Roy Hobbs]

One is definitely wrong and as of yet I have yet to see comfirmation of either the Herald's or the Globe's reporting from anyone else.

Fox Sports initially broke the two year, minimum salary deal, so maybe the Herald was confirmation of that story.  Or, maybe they were just re-reporting it.  Hard to say.

[silvershamrocker]

I sure hope we didn't use part of the MLE to sign him, but I'm happy we got another big. I hope Cliff Ray works his magic... 

Now, onto a vet point and a defensive wing...

[ChampKind]

O'Bryant is a 2nd round talent that somehow got picked in the lottery.  I expect about 5 mpg and 6 fouls per game from him.

[geraldgreen5]

O'Bryant is a 2nd round talent that somehow got picked in the lottery.  I expect about 5 mpg and 6 fouls per game from him.

He really isnt that bad when given minutes. When he was in the d-league (which i know is the d league) he avg. 17 points 10 boards and 3.5 blocks in 36 minutes... Now im not expecting him to do that here, i dont think anybody is but give the guy a chance. He played a total of 218 minutes in the nba. He wasnt even given a chance.

http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/index.jsp?player=patrick_obryant

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/patrick_obryant/career_stats.html

[Andy Jick]

centers always take longer to develop...maybe we got a steal here as he might possibly be a late-bloomer.  afterall, perkins wasn't much to write home about his first couple years, and we have witnessed his growth.

i'm not concerned about this signing at all...if anything i think it's a positive.  it's low money for 2 years - at least it's not a scalabrine-esque contract...