To beat Miami with the big 4 we need 3 reliable backups

[fairweatherfan06]

With Miami's youth and athleticism (I'm already tired of hearing those words).  We need reliable backups for our big 3 (not as much Rondo I'll get to that in a second)  Miami's 3 matches our 3 by position so to beat them given the youth of theirs we need to get good minutes from our first and second unit rotations player at those positions to hang with them.  If they win these finals, and its a good chance they may they prove because of the minutes they are able to play right now they don't necessarily need as much depth as we do with an older team.

KG is still a smarter and to me overall better player than Bosh, but the age difference is making up the stagger so we need somebody young physical and preferably defensive minded to back him up.  And tall, Big Baby is not the remedy.

Ray is still a good foil for DWade but for his backup we need someone who will keep Wade just as occupied offensively and hopefully has the size enough to compete defensively with Wade who is an extremely physical player.

We're actually set to fend of Lebron (as much as that's possible)  Paul still does a great job on him and what we need is basically for Jeff Green to pick it up on both ends and reduce some of Paul's minutes.

Center we need a good defensive starting center (offense is a bonus) but if he can hit his free throws it would help him stay on the floor during crunchtime.  But having this will maximize and possibly double KG's effectiveness.  At backup center I actually think Jermaine Oneal will do fine, or if not a minimum guy. Though I think they'll upgrade their center position I don't think its a priority.

Rondo has a backup in DWest who simply  needs to stay healthy and considering how ball dominant Lebron and DWade are Miami is unlikely to ever get a point guard of any skill level, so Mario Chalmers may remain their best PG with the Mike Bibby's of the world becoming mainstays on the roster.

Miami is beatable but to do it with our current personal (I'm mainly talking next season) that is what we'll need to do it.

[BASS_THUMPER]

im tired of "big 3"..that term is thrown round like trash since everybody and they momma got a "big 3" after us..

bosh wade and james are not the "big 3"

they the 3 stooges




way off topics but i cant stand dem clowns~

[jdz101]

Not a defensive center. A center that can play defense but can also score. Our issue was scoring, not defense, as long as we get someone that is acceptable defensively that's fine. We need a guy that will at least be a semi threat on offense.

[Papatrichs]

we need to nullify one of the Heats strongest position...

need a 2 or 3... and add a big athletic 4.

[BASS_THUMPER]

Not a defensive center. A center that can play defense but can also score. Our issue was scoring, not defense, as long as we get someone that is acceptable defensively that's fine. We need a guy that will at least be a semi threat on offense.

if perk woulda hit layups he woulda still been here..

[PosImpos]

The only way to beat the Heat is to have great defenders at the 2 and 3 positions -- quick, strong, athletic guys like Tony Allen, Ron Artest, Andre Iguodala etc -- and have scorers at the other 3 positions (especially point guard and center).

In any case, our "Big 4" are no longer up to the task, I'm afraid.

[fairweatherfan06]

im tired of "big 3"..that term is thrown round like trash since everybody and they momma got a "big 3" after us..

bosh wade and james are not the "big 3"

they the 3 stooges




way off topics but i cant stand dem clowns~

You're right Bass thumper TP

[fairweatherfan06]

The only way to beat the Heat is to have great defenders at the 2 and 3 positions -- quick, strong, athletic guys like Tony Allen, Ron Artest, Andre Iguodala etc -- and have scorers at the other 3 positions (especially point guard and center).

In any case, our "Big 4" are no longer up to the task, I'm afraid.

Jeff Green could be that at the 3 you thing?.  You think we can find that affordable at the 2?  Azubuike? We've got Rondo at the 1  not a score first guy and a scoring center is not that easy to come by, which is why I think we got to make up the stagger moreso on the bench by duplicating the scoring at the positions we already have since we're set at the 1, scoring 5's are rare, now another scorer at the 4 THAT maybe we can do.

[cman88]

With rondos ability to find open man all we need is a center who can finish at the rim. Jo much like perk had slippery hands...

[cman88]

I was thinking about this today...The demise of the celtics as being "old" etc. is greatly exaggerated...we were an injured rondo and a botched last second play from tieing the series with Miami 2-2....after that, who knows what wouldve happened...

while we did lose in 5games, I dont see our big 3 declining much next year...at least Paul/Ray...those guys had Career years and its doubtful theyll take a complete 360...(KG on the other hand has lost a step offensively IMO)...and Rondo has improved his game every year...and after this loss I see him coming back even more motivated

if Rondo can stay healthy, we can get production out of Jeff green and find a servicable backup for KG and an athletic 5. I think we're right up there as a contending team next year....watching the dallas series...theyre holding their own with the heat and IMO they dont have the scorers we have on our starting unit

[CelticG1]

The only way to beat the Heat is to have great defenders at the 2 and 3 positions -- quick, strong, athletic guys like Tony Allen, Ron Artest, Andre Iguodala etc -- and have scorers at the other 3 positions (especially point guard and center).

In any case, our "Big 4" are no longer up to the task, I'm afraid.

I agree with TA. How sad is that. A year later and it feels like we desperately could have used him/need him moving forward. I still can't believe Danny wouldn't pony up the whatever extra year 3 million whatever it was. It wasn't like that was even overpaying him at the time. I actually thought he was going to get more after the season he had

[ScoobyDoo]

I think the Heat are very good, but I don't think they are "that good' and I definitely think they are very beatable. I also think we were a healthy Shaq giving us 15-20 minutes a night and a healthy Rondo away from beating them 4-1 or 4-2, easily.

I think we are 1-2 of the "right role players" away from having a very good shot at a title next year - it will be very interesting to see what Danny does this off season.

Does he make some small moves, or a big trade?

 

   

[Mr October]

I like Jeff Green playing small forward minutes. I like West at the backup shooting guard position (and PG).

This leaves PF (and Center with Shaq retiring). The Celtics need reliable size and defense around the basket when KG and JO sit.

I thought Krstic was OK. Not great, but not bad either. I wish he played more 5 instead of Davis, and I'd like to see him get another shot for the right price.

Anyway, my ideal player to find is a solid 4/5 player with at least average size and speed. Maybe a guy like Kris Humphries or Chris Wilcox.

[ScoobyDoo]

I'm in for that Mr. October -
* I like Green and want to see him at SF
* I like Krstic and would like him back at the right price
* I want more length and size behind KG at PF
* Like DWest as part of our rotation at off guard.

Couple of questions though:

Would you prefer someone a little more durable behind Ray than West?

If we re-sign West, would you prefer him primarily behind Rondo at point for one more year, while Bradley continues to develop.

With Ray being older, Delonte injury prone and Wafer marginal, I'd still like to see us get some other off guard in here (Sonny Weems, Fernandez, etc, if possible)

Ray / Weems or Rudy type / Wafer
Rondo / DWest / Bradley

This way we can use DWest as much as possible at OG if we want but if he goes down we've got additional depth at the position...

Or do you want to bring in another Vet point between Rondo and Bradley?

I would very much like to see Humphries here if we could get him.

Humphries, Green and West would make a nice 3 man group off the bench.

 

[RyNye]

Watching these playoffs this year, does anyone else feel like the Heat have been handed a bunch of wins based less on them playing good defense than either the Celtics or the Bulls playing terrible offense? Not to diminish the defensive prowess of the Heat, they are, in fact, [dang]ed good, but I remember multiple occasions down the stretch of close games in each of their play-off series so far where the other team was just missing wide open shots. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rondo all had great opportunities to tie or win games that weren't contested, they just straight up bricked the shots. As I keep saying, the Heat didn't beat the Celtics; the Celtics just lost. Between injuries and bizarrely sloppy play down the stretch, we just threw it away. Bulls, too, though I would say to a lesser extent (that series just showed how much of a one-trick pony Chicago was this year ... relying too much on Rose). Game 1 against the Mavs, too, Dallas played miserably, and even in the Game 2 win didn't play much better until the end of the game.

Anyway, we definitely need to solidify our bench to reduce minutes. PF and C are the most crucial, in my opinion, as we don't have a reliable backup for KG, and at this point JO will be best utilized as a backup himself. Of course, taking minutes away from Pierce and Ray is important, and though I think Bradley, West, Green, and Von Wafer will be suitable, it would be nice to have a nice off-the-bench scoring threat.