The Future at Center, Who is it?

[Greenbean]

Danny has never drafted a Center in the 1st round...maybe this is the year he does it...

[raynman]

In 2012, Dwight as starting + Kristc as backup would be awesome! But right now, nobody knows where Dwight would really want to play, though I'm sure he's not staying in Orlando.. We also still have to wait on what will happen this summer because we have a lot of FAs.. Who's gonna stay and how will that affect our payroll/cap when 2012 comes? There's really no other great Center prospects out there , except maybe for Nene and Kaman..

[PosImpos]

Nobody currently on our roster.

[aporel#18]

wow... I voted Oden 

It'd be great to get Howard, I can't stand the guy and his faux smile, but he'd look great next to Rondo.

Nenad is not the future, but I can see him in green next year, resigning for 1 year, or long term. In the 2012 trade deadline he could either be a nice expiring or a trading chip.

Through draftexpress and nbadraft.net I can't see a good prospect available when the Celtics make their pick. Keith Benson could be a building block for a future trade package, or a backup. The only seven-footers available this or next year are young prospects playing in Europe (Musli, Nogueira...) and the Celtics better not waste a first round pick in guys who will probably stay in Europe for a couple or three more years.

I hope Danny sends back the pick to the Cavs next year to bring back Semih. If he wants to stay in the NBA he can be a good backup, and next year he could save minutes for the O'Neal brothers. If the C's get #18 this year, they will try to win another one, so I don't think they are retiring.

Murphy can't play the 5 consistently. Of course he can do it for a while, just like Scal did it, but I think he could stay to play backup 4 next year if Baby is gone. BBD could go in a sign-and-trade, or sign as a free agent for whatever team is willing to pay him and let him "shine".

About Oden, it seems like the Blazers are extending the qualifying offer next june, so that takes him off the table. There could be a way, say they sign-and-trade Davis for aroun 5 mil and package him with the Marquis exception for the Oden expiring 8 mil contract. I don't see how Portland would like BBD that much, but it could work out fine for the Celtics.

If JO is retiring after this season, they could also work out a trade of JO+ trade exception + cash in order to get Oden.

If Portland don't extend the QO, he becomes unrestricted, so Danny could offer him a 2 year contract similar to what Davis is making (3 mil/year).

If the Celtics could get Oden, I think he'd have a chance of playing without the huge pressure he's bearing in Portland. There he's the second coming of Sam Bowie, and in Boston he could live up to lower expectations, and maybe reach most of his potential.

[Bahku]

I think Danny has already been setting the table for Dwight to come to Boston ... time will tell, but if it happens it will be an interesting acclimation to watch take place. The guy is a great player, without a doubt, but he's one of those guys that just rubs me the wrong way. As with Sheed, I'll have to swallow my personal opinions about his personality, cuz I think he'd be a monster working with Rondo, and a great fit with Doc's system.

[celtics2]

I'd take Krstic and spend the money elsewhere. If the Big 3 behave they have another season left as long as Rondo is around.

[the_Bird]

Danny has never drafted a Center in the 1st round...maybe this is the year he does it...

TECHNICALLY, Memphis drafted Perk and Banks, and we drafted Dahntay Jones and Troy Bell, but since that was a prearranged deal for all intents and purposes Perk was a first rounder that Danny picked.  You could argue that Big Al Jeff was another, he didn't play much 5 while he was here but he's mostly played there since he left Boston.

As to Dwight Howard...  Orlando's a small market team with a HUGE amount of money committed for several years to come.  If it's clear that they are *not* a title contender and especially if attendance starts falling off as a result, I could see them doing a massive rebuild next season.

Thing is, if you're going to get Dwight, you're going to have to take back some of their terrible, terrible long-term contracts as well (Arenas, or Turkoglu, even Jameer and Reddicke make a lot for what they bring).  

I have a hard time seeing how a trade could even be structured without including.....  GASP!...   KG.  You could theoretically trade KG and Jermaine O'Neil (both expiring after next season) for Dwight Howard and Turkoglu.  There would have to be picks going back to them, as well, or we might have to somehow absorb more bad contracts, but the numbers work with the simple 2-for-2 trade.

Not sure if that's realistic for either side, but that IS a trade that could work.  Trade the team's defensive heart and soul, the guy who makes everything WORK....  but a buy who's only got a few years left, for the league's premier big man that's still in his prime.

If KG's not in the deal, though, it's hard to see how the C's can even get enough salary to make the numbers work.  Ray Allen's only making $10M.  Pierce makes more, but he's got a few years left so he doesn't work for an Orlando trade (and Danny's less apt to trade him).  I can't see them trading Rondo, although a Rondo-and-Ray for Dwight deal could work, numbers-wise.

[droponov]

Bynum is no scrub. He is a top 10 center in the league right now. A top ten center will always command that kind of money...Orlando will be foolish to reject Bynum if Dwight decides that he is going to play in LA.

I didn't say he was a scrub.  I said he wasn't worth what he'd command.  He's in the no man's land of too good to be affordable but not good enough to build around. 

And Howard has no leverage to force a trade to LA.  They have no cap space.  Much different scenario than Anthony was in with Denver.  Orlando would be foolish to be strong-armed into an unfavorable trade when they have the leverage.

After the LeBron and Carmelo drama, you still think Dwight won't be able to choose LA if he decides to play for them? NBA is a league of superstars now...owners have no leverage. They risk losing more by not giving in to a superstar's wishes than they gain by going against it. Hopefully the new CBA will be able to rectify that.

It was the same way in the 70s and 80s. Kareem, Moses, Barkley, etc. The idea that there is some sort of new trend is a product of short-memories.

During Howard's next contract, Kobe will age from 35 to 40 years old. What kind of supporting cast will Howard have? I don't buy the "they'll always find stars". People used to say that about Boston till 20 years ago. There's too much uncertainty for Howard to commit to LA when he can have much better options available. He can go to LA and play with Blake Griffin, to Brookly to play with Deron Williams, to Boston. Why commit to a franchise with an ageing supporting cast and without the means to acquire stars of his own age that can grow with him? No cap space and no tradeable assets for the first 2 or 3 years of his stay there. They'll rebuild with cap room around Howard once he's 30 years old? What if there aren't any top free-agents available? Years like 2000 and 2010 happen once in a decade. Phil Jackson is going to retire, who's going to be the coach?

Makes no sense for him to commit to so much uncertainty when there are much better options available.

[clover]

Danny has never drafted a Center in the 1st round...maybe this is the year he does it...

Few worthy centers or even power forwards fall to where the C's pick this year.  That Clippers pick in '12 could be another story.

[aporel#18]

Danny has never drafted a Center in the 1st round...maybe this is the year he does it...

Few worthy centers or even power forwards fall to where the C's pick this year.  That Clippers pick in '12 could be another story.

Could be, but checking out the 2012 mock drafts in draftexpress and nbadraft, in the 11-20 spots there's only a big man who is 18 y.o. and playing in the Spanish ACB League, Lucas Nogueira, who is still a raw prospect. He will take the Thiago Splitter route, so he'll stay in Europe for some years, and that'll be good for him. If the Celtics can get him or Dejan Musli in the 2nd round, it's worth the waiting, but not with a first round pick.

I think Danny will use the pick in a trade package, or to get the best available player.

[snively]

Danny has never drafted a Center in the 1st round...maybe this is the year he does it...

Few worthy centers or even power forwards fall to where the C's pick this year.  That Clippers pick in '12 could be another story.

You're not going to get a dominant 7-foot center that late in the draft, but you can definitely get an elite defensive/rebounding big man. 

Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace spring to mind.  Both top-3 players on championship teams.  Championship-level role-playing bigs like Anderson Varejao also can be available later in the draft.

Kenneth Faried from Morehead St. and Thomas Robinson from Kansas are guys with excellent Rodman-type potential.  Would absolutely love to grab either one.

[wiley]

I'd take Krstic and spend the money elsewhere. If the Big 3 behave they have another season left as long as Rondo is around.

I'm leaning with you, though we would hopefully have another quality center on the roster who defends well, not just Kristic....I'm hoping the Celtics remain a team that passes better than the rest of the league (this will be tough once KG is gone as he is such a great passer and fascilitator on offense....) worried that if Dwight comes in we might turn one dimensional after KG's gone.  You'd think not with Rondo, but for some reason I've got some Dwight phobia...

He is a beast, on the other hand....and I could be underrating Howard's passing ability...am I?

In the end, I think I'm with you...

2013

Rondo, Nolan Smith, A.B.
Stud, Ray Allen, A.B.
Green, Pierce
Stud, KG
Kristic, promising young beast

discounts from Ray and KG required

[boscel33]

Changed my mind, DeAndre Jordan.  Free agent this year.

[LakersFan_33]

Changed my mind, DeAndre Jordan.  Free agent this year.

Kaman also might be available...Solid when healthy. He has a 10 or 11 mil. expiring next year. Pretty sure the Clips would want a lot for him, though.

[the_Bird]

Changed my mind, DeAndre Jordan.  Free agent this year.

...  a few more games like last night, and you aren't getting him for the MLE! 

Seriously, watch what that kid gets paid.  It's happened before, it'll happen again, young big men get "overpaid" all the time.  Wouldn't surprise me if someone threw an offer at him not too far from what Perk just earned on his extension.