Singleton still available?

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Just checked the Yahoo FA tracker, and it seems 28 year old Wiz FA PF James Singleton is still available.  I know we probably have a preference for a clear C to fill out the big guy rotation, but I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to the idea of simply taking the BPA for a big, even if he lacks the...ahem...heft?...to be a Center.  My reasoning is that the starters are set with JO, and the 2nd unit could use the speed and athleticism of moving BBD to the 5 (against 2nd units, I'm cool with that) to hopefully pick up the pace of the game.

I'm not sure who the best big, PF or C, left is?  I'm perty sure that Shaq causes at least -- AT LEAST -- as many problems as he solves, and is not the best big man FA around.  I like Singleton's mobility and hustle, along with his ability to finish, and, of course, his likely availability for the minimum.

Sure, length is important, but wouldn't it make sense to take the BPA among PF/C's, since minutes will be there?  How would you rank the best bigs left?

[Who]

I'd like to see Singleton replace Scalabrine. Take over that role.

[slamtheking]

I'd like to see Singleton replace Scalabrine. Take over that role.

if he comes in for that purpose, I'm on board with adding him.

[nickagneta]

I too am a huge fan of Singleton as a third PF for this team. He is excellent insurance in case anything happens to Baby or KG in front of him because if you give him 15 MPG he's going to play tough defense at the 4, he's going to get you 4-6 PPG and 4-5 RPG.

What more can one expect for a 3rd string PF? Sign him up!!!

[Gainesville Celtic]

Yeah he's always been one of those 9th men i think gets really overlooked...

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/singlja01.html

Over his career he only avgs 13 mpg, but his per36 rebounding #s are 10.0... great for a backup PF.

Adding him also gives some flexibility if something attractive comes up for a Big Baby/Sheed deal.

[LooseCannon]

Singleton is a guy who has been on my radar, but I thought of him more as a backup at small forward for Paul Pierce, but who can sort of play as a stretch four who lacks offense and help keep KG's minutes down as well.

The Yahoo FA tracker is weird sometimes when it  comes to position.  It lists Shelden Williams as a small forward.

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Yeah he's always been one of those 9th men i think gets really overlooked...

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/singlja01.html

Over his career he only avgs 13 mpg, but his per36 rebounding #s are 10.0... great for a backup PF.

Adding him also gives some flexibility if something attractive comes up for a Big Baby/Sheed deal.

Yeah, I actually posted this before checking the numbers.  I'm not all about stats as much as some folks, but I was pleasantly surprised by the nearly 10/10 per 36 minutes numbers (okay, more like 9/10), but liked his quickness, hops, energy, and nose for the ball on the boards.  He also managed a rather robust 1.7 blocks/36 in his short time with the Wiz, career avg of 1.3.  I think he's got the mobility to be a top-notch help defender as well, which is quite likely where the blocks come from.

His shooting % pretty much sucks, but what he'd bring to the table would be great with the second unit that's (hopefully) coming together.

[Jon]

Yeah, while BBD can play some 5, he's really undersized playing the 4, so we really should be looking to bring a center in.  

Singleton would be a pretty good pickup, but I'd like to see someone else too.  

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Yeah, while BBD can play some 5, he's really undersized playing the 4, so we really should be looking to bring a center in.  

Singleton would be a pretty good pickup, but I'd like to see someone else too.  

BBD is actually pretty good in the post, using his girth to keep opponents off balance and off the spot.  There really aren't that many pivot guys to worry that much about in the first place, and hardly any on opposing second units, so I'd give it a whirl...IF...I thought the BPA at the big spots was a PF, and I think that might be the case. 

At 28, JS has that combination of youth and experience that we should be looking for in the short run, and he'll only be 30 when KG's deal is up, and might prove himself to be worth keeping around for another couple of years after that...a pretty low-risk, high-reward minimum pickup.

[LooseCannon]

BBD is actually pretty good in the post, using his girth to keep opponents off balance and off the spot.  There really aren't that many pivot guys to worry that much about in the first place, and hardly any on opposing second units, so I'd give it a whirl...IF...I thought the BPA at the big spots was a PF, and I think that might be the case. 

That's almost always the case.  It's about relative value.  What is bigger, the gap between the best center available and Semih Erden or the gap between the best power forward and Luke Harangody?  Who is better and who improves your team the most are two different questions.

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BBD is actually pretty good in the post, using his girth to keep opponents off balance and off the spot.  There really aren't that many pivot guys to worry that much about in the first place, and hardly any on opposing second units, so I'd give it a whirl...IF...I thought the BPA at the big spots was a PF, and I think that might be the case. 

That's almost always the case.  It's about relative value.  What is bigger, the gap between the best center available and Semih Erden or the gap between the best power forward and Luke Harangody?  Who is better and who improves your team the most are two different questions.

Wouldn't you agree that Doc (and now Lawrence Frank, too) can figure it out and make it work?  I think that's what will happen either way, with BBD playing agaist the bangers and a more mobile, longer big (perhaps Erden, or someone else) playing against someone like Bogut who pick/pops and faces up all the time. 

After all, what makes guys like KG and perhaps even JO and a younger Sheed so special is that they can do either.  We're not going to get that type of player for what we have to offer (minimum), and no team would trade such a player unless the GM was either drunk or named Wallace or Kahn, and even both of those guys have the sense of trying to keep a player that have at least the potential do that (M.Gasol, Darko).

I say get the best talent and let the other team worry about matching up.

[LooseCannon]

OK, so the Celtics have Big Baby Davis and he matches up well against certain types of players and not-so-well against others.  If the best talent available duplicates BBD's skill set, that does nothing to address the need for a player who can do what Davis can't, even if that player can't do what Davis can.  Maybe that means a big who can provide some defense against a 7-foot jump shooter, but who is liable to be pushed around when trying to defend against a post-up.

Taking your idea to an extreme, if the best talent available isn't even a big, why not get that guy and let Doc figure out how to make a smallball lineup work?  Why not have seven power forwards under contract and no actual centers on the roster?

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OK, so the Celtics have Big Baby Davis and he matches up well against certain types of players and not-so-well against others.  If the best talent available duplicates BBD's skill set, that does nothing to address the need for a player who can do what Davis can't, even if that player can't do what Davis can.  Maybe that means a big who can provide some defense against a 7-foot jump shooter, but who is liable to be pushed around when trying to defend against a post-up.

Taking your idea to an extreme, if the best talent available isn't even a big, why not get that guy and let Doc figure out how to make a smallball lineup work?  Why not have seven power forwards under contract and no actual centers on the roster?

No need to go all Atlanta Hawks and have a team made up entirely of guys that are 6'-8.  I think it could work for our big rotation--and I'm looking at the big rotation--because not only do we have JO and BBD locked up, but KG is also capable of playing minutes at the 5 against longer opponents. 

Basically, I think we're not so hard up that we absolutely need a 7-footer at the 5.  Or, put another way, with JO, KG, and BBD as 3/4 of a nice big man rotation, the height of the 4th guy isn't that big a deal.  I think there is sufficient versatility and workable combinations among those 3, any of which can line up at the 5, to make working out matchups rather simple, even if the next guy is an athletic PF who isn't 7 feet.

Minutes wise, if we were to keep KG and JO to 30 minutes and BBD to 24, there are only 12 minutes left, plus whatever emerges due to injury or suspensions.  If we picked up a clear 4, rather than a 5, I'd say that between the 3 other guys, someone would be able to match up against the opposing backup center just fine.

[nickagneta]

I think the slot that Singleton would fill on this team will be filled by Luke Harangody this year. Last year the C's went with 2 centers(Sheed and Perk) and 4 PFs(KG, Baby, Shelden and Scal) this year because of Perk's injury I think they have to go with 3 centers and 3 PFs and I think they are very high on Harangody to be that 3rd PF so it's probably unlikely that Singleton comes here.

Although, would it kill the C's to give him a make do contract and see if he can beat out Harangody? Probably not but he will probably get a guaranteed contract somewhere.

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I think the slot that Singleton would fill on this team will be filled by Luke Harangody this year. Last year the C's went with 2 centers(Sheed and Perk) and 4 PFs(KG, Baby, Shelden and Scal) this year because of Perk's injury I think they have to go with 3 centers and 3 PFs and I think they are very high on Harangody to be that 3rd PF so it's probably unlikely that Singleton comes here.

Although, would it kill the C's to give him a make do contract and see if he can beat out Harangody? Probably not but he will probably get a guaranteed contract somewhere.

That could very well be.  If KG, JO, and BBD each get 30 minutes, that only leaves 6 (possibly 1st half) minutes, which Harangatang could probably handle.  In that case, the next big is only really needed for insurance.  Still, given that LH hasn't played in the NBA yet, it'd be nice to have someone with experience ahead of him on the depth chart to start the season.  If he earns the minutes, great, but as it sits right now, he might get them by default, and I don't think counting on a rookie to play any minutes at all should be Plan A.