what is the updated plan for acquiring a backup for paul pierce ?

[byennie]

SF/SG is the easiest position to fill in the NBA, it really is.

Amen, brother.

yeah sure -- you can find a Tony Allen or Scal or JR Giddens lyion' around anywhere. oh wait, they suck.

And how does the fact that we are lacking on our roster deny the fact that they are the easiest to find? We have two solid options at center (Perkins and Wallace), so THAT must be the easiest position to fill by your logic.

[footey]

I think Ainge will re-sign BBD and figure out a way to trade for Posey using expiring salaries. NO needs to dump payroll. Posey has proven chemistry with this team, and would be welcome back with open arms. We would lack a slasher in the 2nd unit, but there will be alot of mixing and matching anyway (especially Pierce and Rondo), so that should work itself out.

[LooseCannon]

Doc Rivers is willing to play Tony Allen 18-20 minutes per game when healthy.  It won't necessarily be pretty, but the Celtics can afford to tolerate his mistakes and coast in a lot of regular season games.  Paul Pierce will play 35-36 mpg like he did before KG went out.  He won't play more so long as TA is healthy.

I think the plan is to possibly sign a vet-minimum free agent and see if Giddens or Walker can crack the rotation.  If any of those prove to be worthy, then Ainge won't have to knock himself out trying to add bench strength.  If not, then Ainge will look for which teams are desperate to shed a regrettable contract after their season goes in the tank and look to trade something like Scal/Walker/draft pick to strengthen the bench or find a ring hunter among the late-season buyouts.

In terms of getting value for a cheap free agent, I think people on this forum are too obsessed with length and height. Some of these people probably complained about Doc not willing to put Powe and Davis in the game at the same time. 

I think the Celtics are better off shopping from the undersized but talented bin rather than looking at players who fit the ideal profile size-wise but lack talent.  House (as a SG), Powe, and Davis are all guys who were contributed despite being short for their position.  You don't want a bunch of midgets on the floor, but if Powe and Davis are gone, then I think being undersized is a less important complaint in looking for a swingman off the bench.  In terms of abilities, I'm looking for not a black hole on offense and capable of team defense rather than some mythical Lebron and Kobe-stopping lockdown defender which I am not sure exists.

[ssspence]

SF/SG is the easiest position to fill in the NBA, it really is.

Amen, brother.

yeah sure -- you can find a Tony Allen or Scal or JR Giddens lyion' around anywhere. oh wait, they suck.

And how does the fact that we are lacking on our roster deny the fact that they are the easiest to find? We have two solid options at center (Perkins and Wallace), so THAT must be the easiest position to fill by your logic.

it's a position that let us down badly last year. so if they're all sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, who are these guys? what inexpensive swingmen that can actually hold their own in the league are you referring to? say something other than the usual bottom level guys we've been talking about -- udoka, barnes, bogans, etc -- ltd players.
 
talking about how easy they are to find is boring. telling me who we can add to the roster would be somewhat more interesting.

[gustusias]

Pierce needs a replacement. Rondo needs a replacement. Big Baby must be resigned. No one we have now on our roster including Walker, Giddens, Scal, Allen, House, and Pruitt are capable of trusting consistently for 82 games to provide the kind of play desireable at those positions. Not on a championship driven team!

 All are third sringers or at best borderline second stringers. Eddie House is the only exception. He is an exception to the rule; a truly unique, underrated player who sadly is not a good enough point guard to backup Rondo. If Rondo goes down, we are up the river without a paddle.

 We are getting nervous.The summer has just begun. Because Marc Spears thinks something, or even Tanguay, does not make it true. Let's be patient and keep our fingers crossed, KNOWING TRULY THAT BY SUMMER'S END WE MUST IMPROVE THIS TEAM EVEN MORE BY RESIGNING DAVIS, AND ACQUIRING A 2ND STRING PG AND SMALL FORWARD BY A TRADE OR SIGNING.From what we have read Ainge, Wyc, and Rivers know these facts well enough that it is safe to say this.  If ALL THREE are not done, then a championship is doubtful.

[hwangjini_1]

well, who ever it is that eventually plays as backup to pierce, it wont be dahntey jones. he just signed with indiana.

i wonder if ainge really believes that a combo of allen/giddens/walker is sufficient. i hope not.

[tenn_smoothie]

I think Ainge will re-sign BBD and figure out a way to trade for Posey using expiring salaries. NO needs to dump payroll. Posey has proven chemistry with this team, and would be welcome back with open arms. We would lack a slasher in the 2nd unit, but there will be alot of mixing and matching anyway (especially Pierce and Rondo), so that should work itself out.

that's a wonderful scenario - if it were to miraculously happen.

what bothers me most is this casual attitude Danny takes. last summer, we lose two of our top three bench guys and Ainge acts like everything's gonna be fine. well it wasn't. the bench sucked and Doc played Pierce/Allen/KG too many minutes. Ainge is delusional about some of our players. Unload the dead wood and acquire a wing who will make a difference for this team.

a related question > Is it now generally accepted in Boston that Ainge made a bad mistake by letting Posey go last summer ??

[BballTim]

I think Ainge will re-sign BBD and figure out a way to trade for Posey using expiring salaries. NO needs to dump payroll. Posey has proven chemistry with this team, and would be welcome back with open arms. We would lack a slasher in the 2nd unit, but there will be alot of mixing and matching anyway (especially Pierce and Rondo), so that should work itself out.

that's a wonderful scenario - if it were to miraculously happen.

what bothers me most is this casual attitude Danny takes. last summer, we lose two of our top three bench guys and Ainge acts like everything's gonna be fine. well it wasn't. the bench sucked and Doc played Pierce/Allen/KG too many minutes. Ainge is delusional about some of our players. Unload the dead wood and acquire a wing who will make a difference for this team.

a related question > Is it now generally accepted in Boston that Ainge made a bad mistake by letting Posey go last summer ??

  I don't think too many people have changed their mind on the issue. He's still overpaid. And KG only played about 31 minutes a game last year. Nobody was playing too many minutes until the injuries struck.

[GKC]

Posey is overpaid. Not to mention the final few years on his contract will really make NO regret it.

I think the mistake Danny took was thinking that the young players, after being under the wing for a year, will easily grow into their own.

I think this is true in some sense. Rondo and Perk improved drastically. However, Leon, BBD, Pruitt didn't grow enough to offset the injuries that we got.

Remember, we might have even been an injury away from the Finals. So we can't completely fault Danny. How he handled KG's injury is still a mystery to me though.

[BballTim]

Posey is overpaid. Not to mention the final few years on his contract will really make NO regret it.

I think the mistake Danny took was thinking that the young players, after being under the wing for a year, will easily grow into their own.

I think this is true in some sense. Rondo and Perk improved drastically. However, Leon, BBD, Pruitt didn't grow enough to offset the injuries that we got.

Remember, we might have even been an injury away from the Finals. So we can't completely fault Danny. How he handled KG's injury is still a mystery to me though.

  Leon and Davis didn't improve as much as Rondo and Perk but they did improve significantly.

[Birdbrain]

BBD improved significantly and Ainge didn't resign Posey because he thought he wouldn't be missed.  He knew he would be missed but, more than likely not in 3rd and 4th year of his contract.

[celticinorlando]

i dont think anyone knows the plan...prolly going to be what we have in the bench already

[tenn_smoothie]

didn't ainge go into last season with this mindset that the existing bench will be just fine - as in tony allen and scal will be great backups for pierce ......... if he thinks that allen/giddens/walker are this year's answer for the bench, then he's stuck in the same deluded mindset.

ainge must have some fond memories of the '87 team or something.