filling out the end of the bench

[Jeff]

for the sake of arguement, I'm going to assume Baby isn't back, we sign Hill, and we sign Tyronn Lue (sorry guys, but we keep hearing his name and I think it will happen)

that gives us the following top 10 rotation guys

Rondo/Lue
Ray/House
Pierce/Hill
KG/Scal
Perk/Sheed

that's a very solid rotation if you ask me

the question remains - how do you fill out the rest of the roster?

it is a very secondary question - which has diminishing returns on effectiveness, but it is the offseason afterall and we've got summer league to help us figure it all out

right now we've got some early camp battles

Pruitt vs. Hudson (and maybe Bryan Mullins)
Giddens vs. Walker (and in my mind Tony Allen)

right now, without any additional information, here's what I'd do

PG - Pruitt (unless someone else beats him out)
SG - Giddens (find a way to dump Tony Allen)
SF - Walker (he has to be the leader in the clubhouse)
PF - BRING BACK POWE
C - Robert Swift (if he proves that he's got a pulse)

thoughts?

[footey]

Not so sure about Lue, who would be matched up with Eddie in the back court off the bench. I know his name surfaces alot, but that would be one short back court.

Also, seems like Walker and Giddens are fighting for the same spot.

[the_Bird]

The one thing that I'm worried about - one thing I think could be out Achille's heel - is having someone who can match up defensively on the more-athletic 2-guards.  Someone like Tony Allen, but someone who actually knows how to play basketball.  Someone who can come in and slow down younger guys like Ben Gordon and Dwayne Wade; I get worried that Pierce and Ray Allen (and certainly Grant Hill) may simply not be quick enough to keep in front of some of these guys.  Ideally, that's Bill Walker or JR Giddens, so I'm REALLY hoping that we see a lot of improvement in those guys in Summer League.

[Jeff]

fair enough

we could still keep Tony Allen around to be a defensive specialist - for all his warts, he's probably a decent 3rd option at the swing positions

also, I'm still holding out hope for a TA/Scal trade for some help

and maybe Bruce Bowen will sign for the vet minimum

[CoachBo]

I agree. I'd like to have a defensive specialist at the 3 who can think the game.

[radiohead]

I'd like to see how robert swift does during summer league. He could probably replace mikki moore as the team's third string center. Another intriguing prospect is mike sweetney. I don't know how big he is right now but he's a former lottery pick who did dish out some double-doubles with the knicks and bulls.

[Bankshot]

Bring back Marbury.

[BudweiserCeltic]

If we don't resign Baby, I'd be very reluctant to cash in on Scal's expiring contract.

[hwangjini_1]

tony allen can play good defense. but he can just as quickly play bone-headed defense.

i am not so sure he is worth the roster position, though a good argument would convince me otherwise.

i have read the walk and giddens are both excellent defenders. does anyone know for sure whether or not this is true? if it is, might not walker/giddens be the defensive player the celtics need?

also, it seems to me that the celtics need a season long rotation of 10 or 11 players if the big 3 are to get their rest prior to the playoffs.

that means ainge can have up to 4 "project/gamble" players on the bench. (now if walker or giddens are good enough to make the top 10 rotation, great.)

[Rondo2287]

even though Baby and Powe were undersized, when healthy last year we had four guys playing the two big spots.  Now if we dont resign baby we have three legit guys that can play those positions, and scal.  And while I love scal, Im not sure if I am comfortable with his as our primary back up PF.  Especially in the year after KG's injury/surgery

[jasail]

I think that if Hill is signed Danny waits it out on a PG.  With Hill Eddie can play off the ball and Hill can play point foward, and this allows the C's to have Eddie on the floor w/o a true PG and therefore not giving up any size to the opposing team.  

I would like to see TA and Scal traded to fill a need, either a vet big with some girth and rebounding skills or an athletic wing that can defend 2-4.  I don't see this trade happening before the deadline though.  Either way I'd love Scal to be bought out and fill the 12th spot.  

I see the opening day roster looking like:

Rondo/House
RA/TA/Walker
PP/Hill/Walker
KG/Sheed/Scal
Perk/Sheed/Swift

As for the other 3 I see one of either Pruitt/Lester being kept and two roster spots being open to provide flexibility in trading TA/Scal.  

IMO, I'd really like to see Bill Walker develop some type of perimeter game and improve his handle.  If he can do that I think he is a perfect compliment as the 4th wing and we can finally bid adieu to Tony Turnover because we can have another wing that is a defensive stud. Or Tony could finally put it together  

[Chris]

for the sake of arguement, I'm going to assume Baby isn't back, we sign Hill, and we sign Tyronn Lue (sorry guys, but we keep hearing his name and I think it will happen)

that gives us the following top 10 rotation guys

Rondo/Lue
Ray/House
Pierce/Hill
KG/Scal
Perk/Sheed

that's a very solid rotation if you ask me

the question remains - how do you fill out the rest of the roster?

it is a very secondary question - which has diminishing returns on effectiveness, but it is the offseason afterall and we've got summer league to help us figure it all out

right now we've got some early camp battles

Pruitt vs. Hudson (and maybe Bryan Mullins)
Giddens vs. Walker (and in my mind Tony Allen)

right now, without any additional information, here's what I'd do

PG - Pruitt (unless someone else beats him out)
SG - Giddens (find a way to dump Tony Allen)
SF - Walker (he has to be the leader in the clubhouse)
PF - BRING BACK POWE
C - Robert Swift (if he proves that he's got a pulse)

thoughts?

This is pretty much how I see it working out.  Although I could legitimately see Hudson beating Pruitt out for the 3rd PG spot.  I really think they have been frustrated by Pruitt's lack of aggressiveness, and from what I have read on Hudson, that will not be a problem with him.  I think Pruitt's days are numbered.

I really do want to see them give Swift(or May, if Swift is not really healthy) and Powe spots as frontcourt depth.

[celticinorlando]

lets just assume gary is right and hill is the back up for PP and baby walks.
IMO boston still needs to find someone else on the frontline to take baby's spot. i don't feel confident that scal can do this physically. in fact trading scal and tony would be grandalso they need to find a point. i want pruitt gone. i would rather have a guy like lester hudson be the back up because he can shoot. i expect this to be the bench:

rondo, cheap PG or hudson
Allen, eddie and Tony (unfortunatley)
PP, grant hill giddens OR walker (one is gone)
KG, mystery back up/baby, Scal
Perk, Sheed and Swift

i think boston could clear a 2 for 1 roster space by trading both scal and tony for a good PF ...but Scal as KG's primary back up...NO WAY that will work

[wdleehi]

I like Oberto, Joe Smith or Wilcox as the 4th big man if they sign them for the vet min. 


I think TA/Scali will bring back a good bench player.  Just include cash to buy out Scali so he can rejoin the Celtics for the vet min.  I like Scali as the 12th man.

[celticinorlando]

i think once danny get the wing...he will sit back and see what happens with baby. if they don't math, from there i expect him to wait until august to add another big or point. i expect him to see what some of these guys do in the summer league before finding someone else. but if we can have sheed and hill by the end of the week i am good.