Why do people keep assuming that we need another Perk?

[mahonedog88]

I think people need to be open to the fact that another Perk is not necessarily what this team needs for a new center.

Granted a new defensive presence is obviously important, people that say "we need another version of Perk" need to understand that Perk was the perfect role player for the way this team was constructed with the big 3. 

But the fact is, the big 3 era is just about over and it's time to maybe go in a different direction depending on what falls in the Celtics laps.  If anything, with the current declining play of KG especially on the offensive end, maybe another Perk is the exact opposite of what this team needs.  Clearly knowing how to play in Docs defensive system is important, but if we can get or groom a player with the offensive talent level of a Brook Lopez, Andrew Bogut, or Mehmet Okur, it'll benefit everyone in my opinion

[jdz101]

I am of this opinion aswell. Getting a "defensive center" that is offensively inept is the wrong move. Boston has issues scoring so if we get a center with some touch around the hoop it'll take a load off the other 4

[slamtheking]

I don't know that anyone thinks we need another Perk so much as everyone knows we need a healthy, starting-quality center.  Someone that's not completely inept at defense, rebounding or scoring.

There's an article floating about mentioning Gortat as an option via a trade with Phoenix.  I think he'd be an excellent pickup if Danny can swing that.

[PosImpos]

We definitely do not need another Perk.  As you said, this team has different needs than it did in '08.  We need a guy who can score consistently inside -- at least 10 points per game.  We also need a center that has legitimate size, length, and hops to grab and finish offensive rebounds.

Of course, finding a guy like that isn't easy, especially if you don't have cap room to work with.

[greenpride32]

No we don't need another Perk type player.  We saw how much better our starting unit was last year with a skilled man past his prime and not known for his defensive abilities in Shaq.

Basketball is a skill sport; I will always take a skilled player over a guy that's noted for "intangibles that can't be measured in stats".  That is just convenient agent speak to talk up the price of his clients.

Perk fit in well with the C's big 3 the first couple of years because they were still peak performers at the time.  KG's injury + age has obvously taken a toll on his overall effectiveness and a Perk type cannot make up for this defficiency. 

[cman88]

we need someone who can finish around the rim. rondo is an offensive minded big's best friend because he can feed them the ball for easy layups.

I mean, he made Kristic and semih look good..and shaq looked young again with rondo feeding him the ball

[Eja117]

I think people need to be open to the fact that another Perk is not necessarily what this team needs for a new center.

Granted a new defensive presence is obviously important, people that say "we need another version of Perk" need to understand that Perk was the perfect role player for the way this team was constructed with the big 3. 

But the fact is, the big 3 era is just about over and it's time to maybe go in a different direction depending on what falls in the Celtics laps.  If anything, with the current declining play of KG especially on the offensive end, maybe another Perk is the exact opposite of what this team needs.  Clearly knowing how to play in Docs defensive system is important, but if we can get or groom a player with the offensive talent level of a Brook Lopez, Andrew Bogut, or Mehmet Okur, it'll benefit everyone in my opinion

This is a little like saying towards the end of the Jordan-Pippen era they didn't really need Rodman. If they could have just gotten someone a little more like Karl Malone or something they would have been all set.

I'll be more than happy to get a leader who does dirty work, and plays great D.   

[paulcowens]

What I find fascinating is the way Perkins, Baby and Rondo have been demonized by Celtic fans.  Now it's conventional wisdom that Perk is a scrub, that Baby is the reason we didn't win a championship and that Rondo should be traded.   It's all so crazy.  Perkins is a strong defensive center who helped the Thunder drive deep into the playoffs even at 60%.   Davis has been our best guy off the bench.  Rondo is as talented a player as there is in the league.  It's all scapegoating.

So, do we need another Perk now?  Of course not.   It's a silly question, really.   Perkins, with his strengths and his faults, is sui generis.  Ideally, we'd love to have a strong defensive anchor at center, who rebounds brilliantly and also  is a killer around the hoop on offense.  We need Dwight Howard.  But if we can't get Howard - and I suppose, all in all, we have as good a chance as anyone, but there are several teams that presumably have at least as good a chance as we do - we'll probably be lucky if we can just find a pretty good starting center.  Given the choice, we should still prefer defense over offense.  Someone comments that Shaq was a defensively weak center, as if that proves that we should prefer offense over defense.   Of course, that's not the case.  Even at the end of his career Shaq, like Perkins, provided a strong defensive anchor.  Simply put, both those guys patrol the paint like they mean it.  With a defense like the Celtics', where the other four player are very active, that can be very effective.

But what I find most strange is the comment that intangibles don't matter, that only skills matter, and that intangibles are something cited by agents trying to negotiate inflated contracts for scrubs.  I think that if you ask Chicago and Miami, you'll quickly find out that when Perk was traded, both teams felt that the way  had been cleared for them.  As Artis Gilmore said, basketball is an emotional game.  Skills are important, but motivation is more important.

[Chris]

I think the C's just need a quality NBA center.  They are not in the position (nor is any team in the NBA) to choose whether they are offensive or defensive oriented.  They just need someone who helps the team more than they hurts them.