Our best bet is to bring one of the Big 3 off the bench.  With Jeff Green here, the likely answer would be Pierce, and honestly, I think his versatility makes him a prime candidate for super-6th man.  However, I don't think management and Rivers will allow the captain to come off the bench, so I am wondering if the team will consider one of the following options:

1. Start West at SG and bring Allen off the bench - this will bring pure offense off the bench and will give Rondo a more athletic partner in the backcourt, who can defend and get to loose balls.

2. Start Green at SF and Pierce at SG - this would give the Celts a size advantage at 2 positions and can increase the movement towards the hoop.  With Rondo and Pierce in the backcourt, there are 2 players that can take it to the rim and Green is capable as well.  This will allow Garnett to play his offensive game more seamlessly.

Yeah, let's count on a 40 year old 400 pounder...we saw how well that worked for us this year

1. If Shaq, JO and Krstic come back I am not that upset about our center position. JO showed what he can do in the playoffs, Shaq showed what he can do to start the season, and Krstic showed what he can do when he first got here. Obviously we need one more guys who can play minutes when these guys get hurt.

2. After much thought I am on the Jeff Green starting Pierce of the bench bandwagon. Jeff plays better with the starters because he is unselfish to a fault. With  the bench players he is just one of 5 that is unwilling to initiate offense. Pierce would be perfect for the second unit because he has no problem creating his own shot. It would lower his minutes and leave him fresher for extended minutes in the playoffs. Green will further improve with an entire offseason learning his natural position (the 3) and with prodding from the other starters become a more willing aggressor on offense.

3. I would love to see an athletic big with the MLE (if there is one) but I don't see the guy that would fit at that spot for the MLE. To me this means we have to go hard after JR Smith or Jamal Crawford. Doc was great at making Pierce more efficient when he first got to Boston and a lot of guys who had been known as bad defenders have gotten better. I believe that both Smith and Crawford would take better shots and play better defense for us all the while giving us a good scorer off the bench. JR specifically would be appealing because he could be a bridge to the future replacing Ray eventually (replacing as in getting the exact shots he takes now, not just playing his position).

4. Give Bradley and our first this year room to grow. If we are to get better as the big 3 fade we need a young player to step up. Bradley needs to be given minutes to keep the legs of the vets fresh. The less miles on the big 3 during the season the better they will perform in the playoffs. If he isn't ready this year that's fine but he needs the opportunity to see what he can do in games.

5. Rondo needs to be healthy. Of course his jump shot could get better, but do we really want him taking jump shots? At the start of the season he was attacking the hole and creating open looks for the big 3. Then a variety of injuries started to slow him down and he didn't attack the hoop as often. At this stage in their careers the big 3 are excellent finishers but are not great creators. We need Rondo to feel healthy enough to attack the basket to create open shots, because he's really the only one on our team that can do it.

6. We need to play our bench regardless of how they do and we need durable bench players. This ties in to giving Bradley and our rookie a try as back ups.

7. If you wanted to know how close we were just look at earlier in the year when we were playing like the best team in the league. If we can have most of our important players healthy we can match that, but the key is being able to peak during the playoffs not a few games in. To peak late in the year we need to ride the bench hard.

1. If Shaq, JO and Krstic come back I am not that upset about our center position. JO showed what he can do in the playoffs, Shaq showed what he can do to start the season, and Krstic showed what he can do when he first got here. Obviously we need one more guys who can play minutes when these guys get hurt.

2. After much thought I am on the Jeff Green starting Pierce of the bench bandwagon. Jeff plays better with the starters because he is unselfish to a fault. With  the bench players he is just one of 5 that is unwilling to initiate offense. Pierce would be perfect for the second unit because he has no problem creating his own shot. It would lower his minutes and leave him fresher for extended minutes in the playoffs. Green will further improve with an entire offseason learning his natural position (the 3) and with prodding from the other starters become a more willing aggressor on offense.

3. I would love to see an athletic big with the MLE (if there is one) but I don't see the guy that would fit at that spot for the MLE. To me this means we have to go hard after JR Smith or Jamal Crawford. Doc was great at making Pierce more efficient when he first got to Boston and a lot of guys who had been known as bad defenders have gotten better. I believe that both Smith and Crawford would take better shots and play better defense for us all the while giving us a good scorer off the bench. JR specifically would be appealing because he could be a bridge to the future replacing Ray eventually (replacing as in getting the exact shots he takes now, not just playing his position).

4. Give Bradley and our first this year room to grow. If we are to get better as the big 3 fade we need a young player to step up. Bradley needs to be given minutes to keep the legs of the vets fresh. The less miles on the big 3 during the season the better they will perform in the playoffs. If he isn't ready this year that's fine but he needs the opportunity to see what he can do in games.

5. Rondo needs to be healthy. Of course his jump shot could get better, but do we really want him taking jump shots? At the start of the season he was attacking the hole and creating open looks for the big 3. Then a variety of injuries started to slow him down and he didn't attack the hoop as often. At this stage in their careers the big 3 are excellent finishers but are not great creators. We need Rondo to feel healthy enough to attack the basket to create open shots, because he's really the only one on our team that can do it.

6. We need to play our bench regardless of how they do and we need durable bench players. This ties in to giving Bradley and our rookie a try as back ups.

7. If you wanted to know how close we were just look at earlier in the year when we were playing like the best team in the league. If we can have most of our important players healthy we can match that, but the key is being able to peak during the playoffs not a few games in. To peak late in the year we need to ride the bench hard.

As usual, I agree with almost everything you say here, E34, (TP), but I have to take exception to bringing The Truth off the bench and starting Green. Paul is our number one clutch player, he's the guy you want with the ball when things are at their toughest, and he has proven over the years that he's the one who can back it up.

Green has not proven anything to me at this point, other than he has under-performed since he got here. Paul is also our Captain, and bringing the Captain off the bench, the guy who leads this team and has led it on and off the floor for longer than anyone in green, would be extremely detrimental to the core chemistry of this club.

Whatever happens to this club in the next couple of years, Pierce should remain a Celtic until he retires, should remain the Captain until he does so, and should always remain a starter, anything else just simply undermines what this team has used to ignite Ubuntu, selfless play, and defense-first priority.

Jeff Green has done nothing to earn a starting spot on this team, and certainly is not close to the caliber of player or leader that The Truth is. He is not a "clutch" shooter, does not have the defensive prowess or experience that Paul has, and has next to no chemistry established with the other starters.

You have to remember, whatever else people may think, when it comes down to it, Pierce is the one even KG looks up to for the lead and the clutch plays ... what happens to him and the rest when their leader, Captain, and emotional foundation becomes a pine-warmer?

It's just personal opinion, but that's one Bandwagon I just could never see my way onto.

Quote from: Evantime34 on May 20, 2011, 10:33:02 AM

1. If Shaq, JO and Krstic come back I am not that upset about our center position. JO showed what he can do in the playoffs, Shaq showed what he can do to start the season, and Krstic showed what he can do when he first got here. Obviously we need one more guys who can play minutes when these guys get hurt.

2. After much thought I am on the Jeff Green starting Pierce of the bench bandwagon. Jeff plays better with the starters because he is unselfish to a fault. With  the bench players he is just one of 5 that is unwilling to initiate offense. Pierce would be perfect for the second unit because he has no problem creating his own shot. It would lower his minutes and leave him fresher for extended minutes in the playoffs. Green will further improve with an entire offseason learning his natural position (the 3) and with prodding from the other starters become a more willing aggressor on offense.

3. I would love to see an athletic big with the MLE (if there is one) but I don't see the guy that would fit at that spot for the MLE. To me this means we have to go hard after JR Smith or Jamal Crawford. Doc was great at making Pierce more efficient when he first got to Boston and a lot of guys who had been known as bad defenders have gotten better. I believe that both Smith and Crawford would take better shots and play better defense for us all the while giving us a good scorer off the bench. JR specifically would be appealing because he could be a bridge to the future replacing Ray eventually (replacing as in getting the exact shots he takes now, not just playing his position).

4. Give Bradley and our first this year room to grow. If we are to get better as the big 3 fade we need a young player to step up. Bradley needs to be given minutes to keep the legs of the vets fresh. The less miles on the big 3 during the season the better they will perform in the playoffs. If he isn't ready this year that's fine but he needs the opportunity to see what he can do in games.

5. Rondo needs to be healthy. Of course his jump shot could get better, but do we really want him taking jump shots? At the start of the season he was attacking the hole and creating open looks for the big 3. Then a variety of injuries started to slow him down and he didn't attack the hoop as often. At this stage in their careers the big 3 are excellent finishers but are not great creators. We need Rondo to feel healthy enough to attack the basket to create open shots, because he's really the only one on our team that can do it.

6. We need to play our bench regardless of how they do and we need durable bench players. This ties in to giving Bradley and our rookie a try as back ups.

7. If you wanted to know how close we were just look at earlier in the year when we were playing like the best team in the league. If we can have most of our important players healthy we can match that, but the key is being able to peak during the playoffs not a few games in. To peak late in the year we need to ride the bench hard.

As usual, I agree with almost everything you say here, E34, (TP), but I have to take exception to bringing The Truth off the bench and starting Green. Paul is our number one clutch player, he's the guy you want with the ball when things are at their toughest, and he has proven over the years that he's the one who can back it up.

Green has not proven anything to me at this point, other than he has under-performed since he got here. Paul is also our Captain, and bringing the Captain off the bench, the guy who leads this team and has led it on and off the floor for longer than anyone in green, would be extremely detrimental to the core chemistry of this club.

Whatever happens to this club in the next couple of years, Pierce should remain a Celtic until he retires, should remain the Captain until he does so, and should always remain a starter, anything else just simply undermines what this team has used to ignite Ubuntu, selfless play, and defense-first priority.

Jeff Green has done nothing to earn a starting spot on this team, and certainly is not close to the caliber of player or leader that The Truth is. He is not a "clutch" shooter, does not have the defensive prowess or experience that Paul has, and has next to no chemistry established with the other starters.

You have to remember, whatever else people may think, when it comes down to it, Pierce is the one even KG looks up to for the lead and the clutch plays ... what happens to him and the rest when their leader, Captain, and emotional foundation becomes a pine-warmer?

It's just personal opinion, but that's one Bandwagon I just could never see my way onto.

I understand where you are coming from not wanting to move Pul Pierce to the bench , but IMO it would balance the team out perfectly and take a lot of pressure off of Jeff Green.

With Green in the starting lineup he would be surrounded by 3 other all-stars. Ray still provides the spacing that the starting lineup needs, and green would be able to post up just about any SF in the league( not named Lebron). The c's are desperate for low post scoring on offense and from what I have seen while he has been here Green is very effective with the jump hook when he posts up . The other 3 all-stars in the starting lineup allow Green to be the 3rd or 4th option on offense( instead of having to be the main scorer off the bench)

Also another big reason why Jeff Green would be a good fit in the starting lineup is because of his speed and athleticism. He constantly beat his man up the floor on fast breaks. That is really going to be a perfect fit alongside Rondo. We  need to take advantage of Rondo's strengths , the biggest one being able to get out on the fast break and get easy offense. It's clear that in the half court offense Rondo isn't nearly as effective because of his inability to shoot, so why not get some athletes out there that can run with Rondo and finish on the break?


As far as PP goes, why couldn't he do it ? or why wouldn't he want to if it will help the team be more balanced and take advantage of their strengths ? John Havlicek perfected the role of 6th man and he was the celtics captain( I believe) . Havlicek is someone PP really looks up to and you could see it on "The Association " program .

Like I said before Jeff Green can't be expected to be your # 1 go to scorer off the bench when the rest of the big 3 is tired or he is surrounded by other bench players. PP can do this though. He would absolutely destroy other teams 2nd stringers and tired 1st stringers . He would be the man and set up the offense just like he used to do when he 1st came in the league and his most talented teammate was Antoine .

PP can still get 35 mins a game by backing up Jeff Green and Ray

Jeff Green plays 25 mins at sf and 10 at PF = much more effective with playing time and being surrounded by all-stars .

PP plays 23 mins backing up Jeff at SF , Play 10-15 mins backing up Ray at SG


This to me would be a great way to balance out the team

Plus it's not who starts , its who finishes and I can guarantee you that even if PP became 6th man he would be finishing games with the starters, but would be much more well rested making him even for deadly in crunch time .

I can not believe there is actual discussion about bringing shaq, JO, and Kristic as center....that is a recipe for another season like the one we just had, except they are all 1 year older...
the big 3 are NOT the big 3 anymore...they are not athletic enough to win a title anymore...we gotta get real here, we need to revamp the team in order to compete, make some major changes.

A season where we have the 3rd best record in the East, and were a generous bounce away (or a slightly less injured elbow away) from going back to Miami tied 2-2 with Lebron questioning himself after nearly giving away the game?

I am OK with that.  Considering another option high on a lot of lists is playing for the lottery, I can handle another season where we have a chance to win it all. 

Yes, this team needs to make improvements, but I just don't get this idea that they are suddenly so far off.  A couple minor tweaks, and a little luck, and this team is a true contender again next season.

the big 3 are NOT the big 3 anymore...they are not athletic enough to win a title anymore...we gotta get real here, we need to revamp the team in order to compete, make some major changes.

The Big 3 had their best collective season this year since we won a championship. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce had career seasons, and KG was, statistically, our team's most efficient player (and high on the list of the most efficient players in the league). They all made the All-Star Team, and PP was named All-NBA Defensive 1st.

Do we need to make changes? Yes. Our shortcomings have been thoroughly documented. We need a starting big and an explosive sixth man.

don't think we were THAT close this year to begin with.  It was a lot more than a couple bad bounces away.  Add another year to everybody and we will be even farther off next year...it is time to have a rebuild or at least a very significant trade or two.

We were 1st in the East, and 2nd in the NBA, for the majority of the season. We peaked too early, and slumped after the All-Star Break. Even so, we were still 3rd in the East, and the series against the Heat was really [dang]ed close. Only one of the 5 games was lopsided. The rest of the losses all came down to 4th quarter execution. And, let's face it, Miami's 3 played better than anyone could have reasonably expected them too (Bosh went off, Lebron had unusually good 3 point shooting for him, etc.).