Celtics biggest needs/wants for 2011-12 season...

[kozlodoev]

After the major pieces are resigned, I fully expect the Celtics to target someone like Tayshaun Prince, Jeff Foster, or Samuel Dalembert with the all or part of the MLE.

[Fafnir]

After the major pieces are resigned, I fully expect the Celtics to target someone like Tayshaun Prince, Jeff Foster, or Samuel Dalembert with the all or part of the MLE.

Yes, though a lot depends on what they do with Jeff Green. If they don't committ to him long term I think they'll stick to one year deals, or really small multi-year ones.

[Evantime34]

I love Prince but if we sign Green don't they kind of duplicate each other?

I think the MLE needs to go to a big. Preferably a raw athletic one that we can mold.

[TheRev72]

Athleticism is the team’s real deficiency – exposed in the Heat series – and must be addressed in the offseason. Key needs are an athletic, shot-blocking, big man for the starting lineup to pair with KG (who is getting a bit creaky but is still effective) and a high-flying wing player who can defend and log heavy minutes behind Pierce and Ray Allen.

Hopefully the team can use some of its free agents in sign-and-trades to address these needs. If Ainge can add some young athletes around the Big 3, there’s no reason they can’t compete for a title one last time.

DeAndre Jordan would be my first preference for a big man. But that's probably a pipe-dream as he will probably command a pretty big salary and the Clips will want to keep him around.

[coco]

Scoring and rebounding.  And I mean, real scoring, like getting to the basket and to the line....

The ability to create your own shot

[bruinsandceltics]

Center:
Samuel Dalembert
Nazr Mohammed
DeAndre Jordan
Joel Przybilla

Either that or somehow trade for a center.

[kozlodoev]

I love Prince but if we sign Green don't they kind of duplicate each other?

I think the MLE needs to go to a big. Preferably a raw athletic one that we can mold.

You can always give Green more time at PF, and play him alongside Prince. But this doesn't solve the big man problem, especially if Jermaine O'Neal chooses to retire.

If we're looking to spend the MLE on a big, Dalembert should be top priority. I hear that the Knicks are interested in him though, so it's interesting how this is going to pan out.

With respect to the other names tossed out there, Przybilla is injured, Mohammed is not suited for a 20-minute role, and there is no way on earth we're getting DeAndre Jordan (nor am I sure a center with no offensive game and .400 FT shooting % will be worth the necessary investment; he's good defensively, but he's not Ben Wallace quite yet).

[jr_3421]

We need athleticism in the frontcourt. That's the only way we will be able to go deep in the playoffs. Deandre Jordan is the best option as many people have said and he will be expensive. But if next year is the big 3's last year, don't you pull out all the stops? I'm not saying give him a franchise crippling contact but definitely overpay a little.

[toine83]

What do you think?
Greg Oden, Gerald Henderson (Perkins & TA 2.0)

[kozlodoev]

What do you think?
Greg Oden, Gerald Henderson (Perkins & TA 2.0)

More like Jermaine and Shaquille O'Neal 2.0.

Henderson just had hip(?) surgery.

[bruinsandceltics]

We need athleticism in the frontcourt. That's the only way we will be able to go deep in the playoffs. Deandre Jordan is the best option as many people have said and he will be expensive. But if next year is the big 3's last year, don't you pull out all the stops? I'm not saying give him a franchise crippling contact but definitely overpay a little.

We can't. We have no salary cap space. We have the Mid-Level Exception, the Bi-Annual Exception and the Minimum salary to give out.

[kozlodoev]

We need athleticism in the frontcourt. That's the only way we will be able to go deep in the playoffs. Deandre Jordan is the best option as many people have said and he will be expensive. But if next year is the big 3's last year, don't you pull out all the stops? I'm not saying give him a franchise crippling contact but definitely overpay a little.

He's not simply expensive. He's unattainable -- no money or pieces to offer.

[toine83]

Maybe with the injuries, it's easier to get them.

If Oden plays more than 4min in the playoffs he will bring more than Shaq this year.
Henderson is un upgrade over Wafer/Bradley, he can give some rest minutes to Ray at the 2

[Evantime34]

We need athleticism in the frontcourt. That's the only way we will be able to go deep in the playoffs. Deandre Jordan is the best option as many people have said and he will be expensive. But if next year is the big 3's last year, don't you pull out all the stops? I'm not saying give him a franchise crippling contact but definitely overpay a little.

He's not simply expensive. He's unattainable -- no money or pieces to offer.

If Jermaine retired we could trade his contract along with cash (Sterling loves cash) and their firs that we have for him.

No one was unattainable, it is just simply very very unlikely.

[kozlodoev]

We need athleticism in the frontcourt. That's the only way we will be able to go deep in the playoffs. Deandre Jordan is the best option as many people have said and he will be expensive. But if next year is the big 3's last year, don't you pull out all the stops? I'm not saying give him a franchise crippling contact but definitely overpay a little.

He's not simply expensive. He's unattainable -- no money or pieces to offer.

If Jermaine retired we could trade his contract along with cash (Sterling loves cash) and their firs that we have for him.

No one was unattainable, it is just simply very very unlikely.

Why would they give their starting center for spare parts? To clear space for Kaman, who's shown a decided inability to play alongside Blake Griffin?

You're much more likely to be able to pry out Kaman for a combination of Glen Davis and Jermaine O'Neal's contract.