Does Wallace's addition alone make this a good off season?

[nickagneta]

I was thinking yesterday, after reading the news that we lost out Grant Hill that, what if Rasheed Wallace is the only decent guy we bring in this year? Is that enough and will his addition, all by itself, make this a good off season? I don't know about anyone else but if Danny's only other additions turn out to be Tyronne Lue and either Robert Swift or Nick Fazekas, I'm going down as saying Danny might have had two bad off seasons in a row, regardless of whether Rasheed Wallace was added.

But right now this is your roster:

Rondo/House/Pruitt
Allen/Allen/Giddens
Pierce/Walker
Garnett/Scalabrine
Perkins/Wallace

I'm just afraid if a team like Detroit decides to sign Big Baby to an offer sheet that has a poison pill in it that Danny will let him walk and then just sign his binky, Robert Swift, and KG's good friend, Ty Lue, who doesn't exactly inspire me as being any better than Gabe Pruitt.

There are a lot of stuff that can still happen. Word is out that Danny has been doing some work on a sign and trade. There are still some interesting and solid veteran role players out there available to add. There's always the Tony/Scal/Eddie/Gabe expirings to trade. And, of course, there is the potential for a blockbuster with a starter being traded, though that's a long, long, long shot.

And it is still early. But I'm going to start worrying if by mid August all that has happened is a whole lot of nothing. This team is an ECF maybe at best as it is currently constructed and needs upgrades at the SF and PG positions and a decent 4/5 guy to have behind the Perk-KG-Sheed three headed monster in the middle.

I would like to see something along the lines of these things happening:

Sign Joe Smith to a veteran minimum contract or resign Big Baby. A quality 4th big is really necessary.

Sign Matt Barnes or Ike Diogu. I think either would be really good for the 20 MPG this team is going to need at the wing position.

Sign Flip Murray to a veteran minimum contract. I think he can run the ship and has been getting better and better at shooting from the outside and extending his range to past the three point line. He's got decent size, plus speed, and isn't a completely horrible defender. And besides, all you need from the backup point is 12-15 MPG.

Trade Tony Allen for a new mascot to replace Lucky and two ball boys to be named later. Addition by subtraction works for me.

Or package Tony/Scal/Gabe/Eddie/Walker/Giddens for an upgrade at the 2 or 3 position. I love me my Eddie House but if we sign a good SF, I am not against looking for an upgrade coming off the bench to replace Eddie's lack of size and athleticism and that can play(meaning not Giddens).

[celticinorlando]

no...it is  BIG step but if boston comes away this summer with no legit wing signed behind PP, missing out on baby and having to fill that void with junk players...then the bench is still in bad shape.

[BudweiserCeltic]

As far as a rotation, we're good as we are, so yes Wallace alone makes this a good offseason.

The rest of it will be simply to solidify our depth or improve our rotation, but as is (knowing that we still have 3 or 4 roster spots to fill and improve our team) we're ready to rumble.

[Drucci]

Wallace's lone addition certainly makes this offseason better than last year's.

However I think that, in order to make this a good offseason, we must get a good backup wing (either on the free agent market or by a trade) and keep BBD/or sign a good backup big.

If all that happens, I would be OK even if we don't sign a backup poing guard, we could give Pruitt a chance to get a spot in the rotation since Pierce/Ray and KG/Perk would have good backups. It would be enough depth going into the season in my opinion, with this kind of rotation :

Rondo/Pruitt
Ray/House
Pierce/Good backup wing (by free agency or trade)
KG/BBD or a veteran small forward for the LLE
Perkins/Sheed

Then you would have Giddens, Walker, Scalabrine, T.A and maybe even Hudson to add to your depth, assuming we don't acquire a backup wing with a trade.

[P2]

One word: Definitely not.

[Fafnir]

Not yet, we still need to aquire a backup SF for Pierce. Once we've done that then I'll call it a good offseason.

I still have my hopes that Danny can make a trade to take on salary to add another impact bench player to add to our team. If/when he does that I think we'll be the favorites to win the title.

[wdleehi]

Yes, it makes it a good offseason.



But also makes it an incomplete offseason.



Two more pieces, then it becomes a great offseason.


1) Resign Davis.  No one is breaking the MLE bank on him.  Bring him back.

2) Sign a proven SG/SF.  Bogans jumps off the paper right now.  He can play with either Ray or Pierce.  (If the other team has a really big SF that abuses him, play Scali as the primary backup SF)


Go into the season with all major holes filled.  Save the trade bait for the deadline.

[BballTim]

And it is still early. But I'm going to start worrying if by mid August all that has happened is a whole lot of nothing. This team is an ECF maybe at best as it is currently constructed and needs upgrades at the SF and PG positions and a decent 4/5 guy to have behind the Perk-KG-Sheed three headed monster in the middle.

  You're taking the team that went 7 games vs Orlando, trading Marbury and possibly Davis for KG and Sheed, Rondo will be a year better, and at best this is an ECF team? I disagree. I'm sure Danny will add some players, but this current group is stronger than you think.

[CoachBo]

Good post as always, Nick.

The backup 3 is a critical, season-threatening off-season need. We have no one on this roster remotely competent enough to fill it. When it's filled, we can take a deep breath and feel better. A backup PG would be nice, but we can get to the deadline with House in that role. We have before.

[nickagneta]

Yes, it makes it a good offseason.



But also makes it an incomplete offseason.



Two more pieces, then it becomes a great offseason.


1) Resign Davis.  No one is breaking the MLE bank on him.  Bring him back.

2) Sign a proven SG/SF.  Bogans jumps off the paper right now.  He can play with either Ray or Pierce.  (If the other team has a really big SF that abuses him, play Scali as the primary backup SF)


Go into the season with all major holes filled.  Save the trade bait for the deadline.

I like your take on saving the expiring contracts for the deadline wd. That's a good way of weeding out the non contenders and seeing who wants to get rid of salary after seeing their season is kinda lost and want to tank for the lotto spots. TP. Good idea.

But, if trading guys that are going to get little to no run now can bring in a guy like a Andres Nocioni, Travis Outlaw, Stephen Jackson(type of guy not necessarily those guys, I'm not saying they are available) or even Marcus Camby before the season starts, then do so.

[nickagneta]

And it is still early. But I'm going to start worrying if by mid August all that has happened is a whole lot of nothing. This team is an ECF maybe at best as it is currently constructed and needs upgrades at the SF and PG positions and a decent 4/5 guy to have behind the Perk-KG-Sheed three headed monster in the middle.

  You're taking the team that went 7 games vs Orlando, trading Marbury and possibly Davis for KG and Sheed, Rondo will be a year better, and at best this is an ECF team? I disagree. I'm sure Danny will add some players, but this current group is stronger than you think.

If Doc is trotting Pierce, Ray and Rondo out there 37-40 minutes per game for the season because there isn't any quality backups, this team ends it's season short of the ECFs. Yes. Easily. I believe that. No question in my mind.

Sheed is a good player that used to be a great player but he did take a step back last year. KG's game took a step back last year even before the injury. Both will be playing in their 15th seasons. And Perk's shoulders have questions.

I don't think with a simple 7 man rotation being used during the season of Perk, KG, Paul, Ray, Rondo, Sheed and House that this team will have enough in the tank or be healthy enough after the grind of the season to get past Orlando or Cleveland as currently constructed.

Danny HAS TO get more quality proven veteran skills to come off that bench. A quality wing and quality PG puts us into the Finals. Baby or another quality big like Joe Smith wins us the title.

But that's just my opinion.

[CoachBo]

And it is still early. But I'm going to start worrying if by mid August all that has happened is a whole lot of nothing. This team is an ECF maybe at best as it is currently constructed and needs upgrades at the SF and PG positions and a decent 4/5 guy to have behind the Perk-KG-Sheed three headed monster in the middle.

  You're taking the team that went 7 games vs Orlando, trading Marbury and possibly Davis for KG and Sheed, Rondo will be a year better, and at best this is an ECF team? I disagree. I'm sure Danny will add some players, but this current group is stronger than you think.

If Doc is trotting Pierce, Ray and Rondo out there 37-40 minutes per game for the season because there isn't any quality backups, this team ends it's season short of the ECFs. Yes. Easily. I believe that. No question in my mind.

Sheed is a good player that used to be a great player but he did take a step back last year. KG's game took a step back last year even before the injury. Both will be playing in their 15th seasons. And Perk's shoulders have questions.

I don't think with a simple 7 man rotation being used during the season of Perk, KG, Paul, Ray, Rondo, Sheed and House that this team will have enough in the tank or be healthy enough after the grind of the season to get past Orlando or Cleveland as currently constructed.

Danny HAS TO get more quality proven veteran skills to come off that bench. A quality wing and quality PG puts us into the Finals. Baby or another quality big like Joe Smith wins us the title.

But that's just my opinion.

Agreed. The Tony Allen experiment is over, and it's an abject failure. Ray and Pierce need to have their minutes cut. Perhaps Garnett can, with Sheed on board.

This team needs a veteran wing - Bogans is a possibility - right now. I think we can shop until the deadline using House at the backup PG if we must.

Fill both of those, and you've got a chance. Resign Davis and avoid the temptation to waste the 4th big spot on a player with the mobility of the Statute of Liberty, and you're good to go.

While the display of character that the Celtics delivered to even win a single playoffs series is admirable, you cannot budget character as you build a ballclub at any level. If you do, you're going to be disappointed in the result. EVERY team, even with many returnees, is different.

[Roy Hobbs]

no...it is  BIG step but if boston comes away this summer with no legit wing signed behind PP, missing out on baby and having to fill that void with junk players...then the bench is still in bad shape.

Agreed.  There's not much left to say other than that.

[xmuscularghandix]

no...it is  BIG step but if boston comes away this summer with no legit wing signed behind PP, missing out on baby and having to fill that void with junk players...then the bench is still in bad shape.

Agreed.  There's not much left to say other than that.

[star18]

We HAVE to sign BBD, after we do if we could somehow land Travis Outlaw and keep our top 7 guys, and get Powe back we will crush everbody.