Celtics Targeting Brad Miller? Please no

[winsomme]

The problem for me isn't Miller, it's the MLE.  I think it'd be much better spent on a quality wing.  

Yes, Perk is out, but he won't be out the entire season.  In the meantime, we could get by with less at the 4/5 spot.  Quite frankly, a rotation of KG, BBD, Shelden, and Scal could still win this team 55-60 regular season games if everyone else is healthy (not saying that we should re-sign the last two, just an example).  So I don't see why overreacting to the Perk injury is all that important.  We will make the playoffs with or without him, so it's really just a matter of him coming back by then.  

And once he is back, we really will only need 10 mpg or so from a backup, because BBD is ready for bigger minutes.  

If we do go with Miller and don't have the MLE, we better hope that Tony Allen is even better next year and that Avery Bradley is NBA ready.  We desperately need some players to take pressure off of Pierce and Allen.  

I don't agree Jon. I think we lost the Title this year because we didn't have Perk for to final two games and now we are facing a season not only without Perk but also Sheed.

I have no problem using the MLE on a big, the problem is the bigs available in FA. that's why we are looking at a guy like Miller....there's just not good options out there to get with the MLE to offer.

hopefully Perk has an amazing recovery and gets back to the point where he can start (in that case Miller could work), but we are going to have to get through team LeBron and then DH next season again to even return to the Finals and to do that IMO we are going to need more help in the post...especially if Perk has a torn ACL as well.

I use whatever resources we have to fortify our low post depth.

any chance we could go after Tyson Chandler?

[lon3lytoaster]

Hmm..

1. Brad Miller for the mininum
2. Sheed for Andris Beidrins
3. MLE on Mike Miller or JJ Redick, maybe Outlaw
4.
5. PROFIT

[BballTim]

To me, he's one of those guys that you love to hate except if he's on your team, then you absolutely love him.  (See Noah, Joakim)

I think he'd be a relatively good fit and would certainly keep the toughness factor going with us. 

Yeah, I can think of worse ideas at this point, such as the rotting, fetid corpse of Shaq.,

  You honestly think Miller's better than Shaq at this point? I was really unimpressed with Miller in the little I saw of him.

[manl_lui]

id also rather take shaq than Brad Miller, I really really really HATE Brad Miller, the dude's a big flopper...

But hey if we do end up getting him, lets have him have a flopping dual vs Gasol...

[Master Po]

I think both of them should call it quits.....

[Who]

  Two years ago he played pretty well, last year I thought he was toast. Don't like him, but hopefully he can eat up some minutes until Perk gets back. Ugh.

Agreed -- not a rotation player anymore. He is done.

Maybe a third string center but an unexceptional one at that.

[Fafnir]

Good depth, but we need a better C than him to contend next year.

[timepiece33]

Like it or not, Miller is probably the best use of the MLE. Will Shaq accept the MLE and his role?  Seriously? 

IMO, we have two FA's that we can give "not limited to the MLE" offer in Ray and Tony Allen.  We have no such flexibility with the center position.

It will be interesting to see what we do with Wallace.  

[Fafnir]

Like it or not, Miller is probably the best use of the MLE. Will Shaq accept the MLE and his role?  Seriously? 

IMO, we have two FA's that we can give "not limited to the MLE" offer in Ray and Tony Allen.  We have no such flexibility with the center position.

It will be interesting to see what we do with Wallace.  

We better not be spending the full MLE on Shaq or Miller!

I can see them getting a portion of it but not all.

[snively]

Miller's legs looked like they were gone this season.  His normally  reliable mid-range J went in the tank.

His rebounding was way down, but perhaps that has something to do with the role he filled in Chicago.  Without Ben Gordon, Miller was one of their main perimeter options (a role he filled with 2010 Sheed-like accuracy) and that kept him from using his impressive offensive rebounding ability.

As for his fit with Boston, he could fill Sheed's minutes with similar quality, but he certainly doesn't address any of our existing or developing weaknesses.  He gives us a tiny boost in rebounding, but nothing in the way of speed. We'd still lack shooting off the bench at the wing spots, we'd remain painfully slow in transition, and we'd still lack a quick 4.

If we spend the MLE on Miller, I really hope we can trade Sheed for some help at the 3/4 (Charlie Villanueva, Boris Diaw, Marvin Williams and Michael Beasley come to mind).

[winsomme]

To me, he's one of those guys that you love to hate except if he's on your team, then you absolutely love him.  (See Noah, Joakim)

I think he'd be a relatively good fit and would certainly keep the toughness factor going with us.  

Yeah, I can think of worse ideas at this point, such as the rotting, fetid corpse of Shaq.,

  You honestly think Miller's better than Shaq at this point? I was really unimpressed with Miller in the little I saw of him.

That's a tough call. I think Shaq has more left in the tank, but Miller is the better fit in how he plays.

Shaq really can clog the lane (like he did in PHO). It had IMO a negative impact on Nash and Amare and could have a negative impact on Rondo and KG (hoping KG comes back healthier next season).

Shaq certainly can control the paint/protect the rim better than Miller at this point in their careers...

I don't know...I was hoping we could use Sheed's contract to land us someone better than either.....and then use the MLE on a wing.

[Jon]

The problem for me isn't Miller, it's the MLE.  I think it'd be much better spent on a quality wing.  

Yes, Perk is out, but he won't be out the entire season.  In the meantime, we could get by with less at the 4/5 spot.  Quite frankly, a rotation of KG, BBD, Shelden, and Scal could still win this team 55-60 regular season games if everyone else is healthy (not saying that we should re-sign the last two, just an example).  So I don't see why overreacting to the Perk injury is all that important.  We will make the playoffs with or without him, so it's really just a matter of him coming back by then.  

And once he is back, we really will only need 10 mpg or so from a backup, because BBD is ready for bigger minutes.  

If we do go with Miller and don't have the MLE, we better hope that Tony Allen is even better next year and that Avery Bradley is NBA ready.  We desperately need some players to take pressure off of Pierce and Allen.  

I don't agree Jon. I think we lost the Title this year because we didn't have Perk for to final two games and now we are facing a season not only without Perk but also Sheed.

I have no problem using the MLE on a big, the problem is the bigs available in FA. that's why we are looking at a guy like Miller....there's just not good options out there to get with the MLE to offer.

hopefully Perk has an amazing recovery and gets back to the point where he can start (in that case Miller could work), but we are going to have to get through team LeBron and then DH next season again to even return to the Finals and to do that IMO we are going to need more help in the post...especially if Perk has a torn ACL as well.

I use whatever resources we have to fortify our low post depth.

any chance we could go after Tyson Chandler?

Maybe.  I guess we don't have a timetable on Perk yet.  I'd tend to think he might get back to normal on the earlier side of things, since his game wasn't based on quickness to begin with. 

I think a lot of this depends on Danny's feelings on Bradley and Tony Allen.  Can Tony take it to the next level and become a 20-25 mpg player?  Can Bradley play some 2 guard and provide some scoring punch off the bench? 

Last year I attribute Allen's Finals woes to exhaustion.  He was too often playing big minutes and asked to do big things in those minutes.  I think we need someone to take the pressure off of him and Pierce. 

Still, if Perk can't be relied on, perhaps we need Miller.  It does suck though.  If Perk didn't get hurt, we'd really only need our 4th big to play 10 mpg or so.  While I don't think BBD will ever be a starter, I do think he's ready for more minutes next season. 

[FallGuy]

To me, he's one of those guys that you love to hate except if he's on your team, then you absolutely love him.  (See Noah, Joakim)

I think he'd be a relatively good fit and would certainly keep the toughness factor going with us.  

Yeah, I can think of worse ideas at this point, such as the rotting, fetid corpse of Shaq.,

  You honestly think Miller's better than Shaq at this point? I was really unimpressed with Miller in the little I saw of him.

That's a tough call. I think Shaq has more left in the tank, but Miller is the better fit in how he plays.

Shaq really can clog the lane (like he did in PHO). It had IMO a negative impact on Nash and Amare and could have a negative impact on Rondo and KG (hoping KG comes back healthier next season).

Shaq certainly can control the paint/protect the rim better than Miller at this point in their careers...

I don't know...I was hoping we could use Sheed's contract to land us someone better than either.....and then use the MLE on a wing.

Well, I think the smart money suggests Perk could give us very little next year. So we might need Miller AND another big. That could take the MLE and Sheed's contract. We might be looking at a vet. minimum wing or two to fill out the roster.

[bbd24]

Miller would be a great addition.  Veteran who understands the game and plays hard every time out.  You and I both don't know what he'd do on a team with guys like KG, PP, and Ray around him.  He's never had that.  I'd imagine his level of play goes up when centered around the talent the C's have.  His rebounding numbers would go up, that would be my guess.  That would help alone.

[winsomme]

To me, he's one of those guys that you love to hate except if he's on your team, then you absolutely love him.  (See Noah, Joakim)

I think he'd be a relatively good fit and would certainly keep the toughness factor going with us.  

Yeah, I can think of worse ideas at this point, such as the rotting, fetid corpse of Shaq.,

  You honestly think Miller's better than Shaq at this point? I was really unimpressed with Miller in the little I saw of him.

That's a tough call. I think Shaq has more left in the tank, but Miller is the better fit in how he plays.

Shaq really can clog the lane (like he did in PHO). It had IMO a negative impact on Nash and Amare and could have a negative impact on Rondo and KG (hoping KG comes back healthier next season).

Shaq certainly can control the paint/protect the rim better than Miller at this point in their careers...

I don't know...I was hoping we could use Sheed's contract to land us someone better than either.....and then use the MLE on a wing.

Well, I think the smart money suggests Perk could give us very little next year. So we might need Miller AND another big. That could take the MLE and Sheed's contract. We might be looking at a vet. minimum wing or two to fill out the roster.

That's a good point. I mean, anybody think we would have won either game 6 or 7 if we had another big who could rebound on the bench (<ahem>...Leon Powe..<ahem>). Leon comes in to game 7 and grabs 6 or 7 rebounds, that's 6 or 7 less possessions  for LAL.