What to do if Perk isn't ready for the start of next season

[jackson_34]

Darko Milicic is the best center in the free agent class.

Are you having a laugh?



- Brad Miller
- Ilgauskas
- Shaq
- Jermaine O'neal
- Brendan Haywood
- Gooden
- Etan Thomas

are all unrestricted. Obviously they aren't perfect solutions, but they are much better options than Darko/

[Who]

Darko Milicic is the best center in the free agent class.

Are you having a laugh?


- Brad Miller
- Ilgauskas
- Shaq
- Jermaine O'neal
- Brendan Haywood
- Gooden
- Etan Thomas

are all unrestricted. Obviously they aren't perfect solutions, but they are much better options than Darko/

Darko Milicic is better than each of those players with the exception of Brendan Haywood who will not be available for the MLE.

[Who]

My main concern about spending the MLE on a center is that it is a short term fix which stops the Celtics from upgrading another position + becomes an issue, playing time + role, once Perkins returns midseason and in future seasons if you have to give a multi-year contract to land your guy.

I would be tempted to start Glen Davis at center while Perkins is out and sign a cheap backup big man (minimum contract guys or small portion of MLE if the C's decide to split the MLE) to help Rasheed off the bench.

[Who]

Darko Milicic is the best center in the free agent class.

Are you having a laugh?


- Brad Miller
- Ilgauskas
- Shaq
- Jermaine O'neal
- Brendan Haywood
- Gooden
- Etan Thomas

are all unrestricted. Obviously they aren't perfect solutions, but they are much better options than Darko/

Darko Milicic is better than each of those players with the exception of Brendan Haywood who will not be available for the MLE.

Brad Miller = very poor defender + poor rebounder + good shooter and passer but limited interior scorer

Zydrunas Ilgauskas = very poor defender + solid rebounder + good shooter and good finisher inside

Drew Gooden = very poor defender + good rebounder + good offensive player who can create a bit in the post and play off of others. Inconsistent.

Shaquille O'Neal = poor-to-very poor defender + good-to-very good rebounder + mediocre offensive player who demands too much of the ball

Jermaine O'Neal = mediocre defender + poor rebounder + awful at creating his own shot and refuses to accept his limitations + good complementary offensive player but someone who's play will decline considerably without a creator like Wade

Etan Thomas = decent defender + poor rebounder + poor offensive player

Darko Milicic = Good defender + good rebounder + solid passer + decent offensive player that could become a solid complementary offensive player as a fifth option on a team with good offensive options (like the C's)

Brendan Haywood = Very good defender + very good rebounder + solid passer + good complementary offensive player = worth $8-10 million per annum and Dallas is likely to make an offer in $8 million per annum range

--------------------------------------------

The Celtics big men already have suspect quickness and mobility and signing an older athletically inferior player (Shaq, Big Z, Miller) will only compound this problem and make Boston far more vulnerable against teams who have high quality pick and roll games, transition play and big men who step outside of the paint and shoot or drive.

If they were willing to sign for the minimum, I would consider one of them as a placeholder until Perk gets back ... but I wouldn't be willing to give them the MLE or a large portion of it.

[Evantime34]

If Perk doesn't make it back for the start of next season we use Sheed with KG.

If Sheed retires we use Big Baby with KG. Both are good enough to handle starters minutes.

To come off the bench we'll probably pick up a back up center like Brad Miller. If we decide to draft a big (Whiteside, Sanders, and to a lesser extent Orton) in the draft we could use them coming off the bench.

We'll be fine. All the doom and gloom for next year is making me more depressed. Everyone was the sky is falling during the regular season. Then the team showed they could turn it on in the playoffs. Now since they didn't win the run is over, I will believe we still have it in us until proved otherwise on the court and no a game 7 loss by 4 does not prove that we're done.

[jackson_34]

Darko Milicic is the best center in the free agent class.

Are you having a laugh?


- Brad Miller
- Ilgauskas
- Shaq
- Jermaine O'neal
- Brendan Haywood
- Gooden
- Etan Thomas

are all unrestricted. Obviously they aren't perfect solutions, but they are much better options than Darko/

Darko Milicic is better than each of those players with the exception of Brendan Haywood who will not be available for the MLE.

Brad Miller = very poor defender + poor rebounder + good shooter and passer but limited interior scorer

Zydrunas Ilgauskas = very poor defender + solid rebounder + good shooter and good finisher inside

Drew Gooden = very poor defender + good rebounder + good offensive player who can create a bit in the post and play off of others. Inconsistent.

Shaquille O'Neal = poor-to-very poor defender + good-to-very good rebounder + mediocre offensive player who demands too much of the ball

Jermaine O'Neal = mediocre defender + poor rebounder + awful at creating his own shot and refuses to accept his limitations + good complementary offensive player but someone who's play will decline considerably without a creator like Wade

Etan Thomas = decent defender + poor rebounder + poor offensive player

Darko Milicic = Good defender + good rebounder + solid passer + decent offensive player that could become a solid complementary offensive player as a fifth option on a team with good offensive options (like the C's)

Brendan Haywood = Very good defender + very good rebounder + solid passer + good complementary offensive player = worth $8-10 million per annum and Dallas is likely to make an offer in $8 million per annum range

--------------------------------------------

The Celtics big men already have suspect quickness and mobility and signing an older athletically inferior player (Shaq, Big Z, Miller) will only compound this problem and make Boston far more vulnerable against teams who have high quality pick and roll games, transition play and big men who step outside of the paint and shoot or drive.

If they were willing to sign for the minimum, I would consider one of them as a placeholder until Perk gets back ... but I wouldn't be willing to give them the MLE or a large portion of it.

Yer I wouldn't be willing to pay them anymore than the min (with the exception of haywood), however I wouldn't want to spend any more on Darko (especially with some of the potential MLEs out there) and because of that a vet who could slot in straight away would probably be a better option, especially for a placeholder. But then again I haven't really seen Darko play in the last year or so (has he improved or something?)...

[Who]

If we decide to draft a big (Whiteside, Sanders, and to a lesser extent Orton) in the draft we could use them coming off the bench.

I think Sanders could be relied upon to give some minutes next season but I wouldn't be comfortable depending on Whiteside, Orton or Alabi. I don't think they're ready enough to contribute right away. Sanders should be able to give 15mpg as a fourth big in the rotation easily enough.

[Who]

Darko Milicic is the best center in the free agent class.

Are you having a laugh?


- Brad Miller
- Ilgauskas
- Shaq
- Jermaine O'neal
- Brendan Haywood
- Gooden
- Etan Thomas

are all unrestricted. Obviously they aren't perfect solutions, but they are much better options than Darko/

Darko Milicic is better than each of those players with the exception of Brendan Haywood who will not be available for the MLE.

Brad Miller = very poor defender + poor rebounder + good shooter and passer but limited interior scorer

Zydrunas Ilgauskas = very poor defender + solid rebounder + good shooter and good finisher inside

Drew Gooden = very poor defender + good rebounder + good offensive player who can create a bit in the post and play off of others. Inconsistent.

Shaquille O'Neal = poor-to-very poor defender + good-to-very good rebounder + mediocre offensive player who demands too much of the ball

Jermaine O'Neal = mediocre defender + poor rebounder + awful at creating his own shot and refuses to accept his limitations + good complementary offensive player but someone who's play will decline considerably without a creator like Wade

Etan Thomas = decent defender + poor rebounder + poor offensive player

Darko Milicic = Good defender + good rebounder + solid passer + decent offensive player that could become a solid complementary offensive player as a fifth option on a team with good offensive options (like the C's)

Brendan Haywood = Very good defender + very good rebounder + solid passer + good complementary offensive player = worth $8-10 million per annum and Dallas is likely to make an offer in $8 million per annum range

--------------------------------------------

The Celtics big men already have suspect quickness and mobility and signing an older athletically inferior player (Shaq, Big Z, Miller) will only compound this problem and make Boston far more vulnerable against teams who have high quality pick and roll games, transition play and big men who step outside of the paint and shoot or drive.

If they were willing to sign for the minimum, I would consider one of them as a placeholder until Perk gets back ... but I wouldn't be willing to give them the MLE or a large portion of it.

Yer I wouldn't be willing to pay them anymore than the min (with the exception of haywood), however I wouldn't want to spend any more on Darko (especially with some of the potential MLEs out there) and because of that a vet who could slot in straight away would probably be a better option, especially for a placeholder. But then again I haven't really seen Darko play in the last year or so (has he improved or something?)...

No, Darko hasn't improved. Same as he ever was.

Same caliber of player as the when he played in Orlando four years ago.

I would be reluctant to spend the MLE of Darko too due to the reasons I already mentioned -- (1) long term fit (2) other uses of the MLE ... but I think Darko is worth around $5 million per annum if he is the starting center on a team and playing anywhere from 25 minutes a night to 32 minutes a night. I think he is solid value for that role. I wouldn't want to be paying him that type of money as a reserve who only plays 15-18 minutes a night though.

[celtics2]

He didn't tear his ACL.

We're talking weeks for a full recovery.  Not months.  He's not missing training camp unless there was a SERIOUS misdiagnosis.

If this is in fact correct we are in the ballgame again with an aging KG, Pierce and Allen.

If Perk doesn't make it back for the start of next season we use Sheed with KG.

If Sheed retires we use Big Baby with KG. Both are good enough to handle starters minutes.

To come off the bench we'll probably pick up a back up center like Brad Miller. If we decide to draft a big (Whiteside, Sanders, and to a lesser extent Orton) in the draft we could use them coming off the bench.

We'll be fine. All the doom and gloom for next year is making me more depressed. Everyone was the sky is falling during the regular season. Then the team showed they could turn it on in the playoffs. Now since they didn't win the run is over, I will believe we still have it in us until proved otherwise on the court and no a game 7 loss by 4 does not prove that we're done.

I hated playing Miller but would really like him as a back up for the Celts. He has toughness to spare. The likes of Artest.

[makaveli]

Is Patty O'Bryant avalaible? 

[dirtyeggs]

Joel Pryzbilla - if he is recovered.  Portland will have to move him and he can rebound.