The Nuclear Option: Moving Rondo and Pierce

[BballTim]

Haha. Some people trip over themselves in their rush to give up on the Celts as early as possible. I've been seeing it every summer since KG hurt his knee, aka "when the Celts ceased to be contenders". I guess it's a method of somehow inoculating from having any hopes dashed if they don't win the title. Sooner or later your crowd will be right, but after enough misses to have a stopped clock feel to it.

  There's also no guarantee that the Heat will get better, and chances are very low that they'll be "significantly better". James and Wade are both ball dominant players and them and Bosh are the majority of the Heat offense. That will be the same no matter who they bring in.

  Changing the 4th or 5th best player on your team when he's going to play a small role on offense rarely leads to significant improvement. That's assuming that they bring in better players than Mike Miller, who was seen as a great find for them, and asusuming that whoever they bring in adjusts well to being an afterthought on offense. People talk about bringing in a good point guard, I guess so they can have someone better than Bibby stand around and watch Dwayne and LeBron run the offense?

  And it's not a matter of figuring out how to play together, it's a matter of players who don't have skill sets that complement each other playing together. Wade or James need to change the way they play basketball for them to "figure it out" and that's not happening.

The Celtics were given a 3 or 4 year window when they were brought together for a reason.  Next year is year 5.  You don't get better as you age, you get older.  The Celtics core will not be able to play enough minutes during the season or during the playoffs to beat a team comprised of better players in their prime.  The C's just wore down against the Heat in every single game except game 3 (and game 1 which was a blow out).  In the games that mattered, the Heat dominated the 4th quarter and OT.  That just isn't going to get better next year.

  Well, if some pundits guessed the window was 4 years then it must be over. The Celts almost won game 4 and were leading in the 4th quarter in game 5 with Rondo playing both games with one arm. Hardly a sign that the games were unwinnable.

I fully expect the Heat to add defensive minded role players at both center and PG.  I expect Dalembert to end up there.  Not sure about the PG, but perhaps they just turn it over to Chalmers who is better then Bibby.  Let's also not forget that Haslem and Miller played a combined 31 minutes or so in the 5 games (Haslem played exactly 2:45).  Even just having those two guys remotely healthy and the Heat get a lot better.  We Celtic fans only focus on the Rondo, Shaq, and JO injuries, but the Heat also got virtually nothing from their 4th and 5th best players. 

  It's a little early to start giving the Heat the pick of free agency. Put Dalembert on the Celts with the current roster and we're better than the Heat again. But I don't think that defensive specialists are going to help them on the offense, where they have more problems.

The Heat are just better then the Celtics and they will be next year as well (barring an injury to Lebron or Wade).

  If Rondo's injured the Heat are better, other than that, not so much. Unless Wade or James become great spot up shooters or develop killer mid-range games the Heat are eminently beatable.

[Jon]

I'd be curious about blowing it all up if there is no season and the Big Three Era ends.  However, if there is a season this season, I'd like to keep it all together for one more run. 

I'm very intrigued by JaJuan Johnson.  He's not a perfect player; however, he's a four year college player who can jump out of the gym.  Running the break with Rondo and Green should be intriguing.  Even more intriguing is what he can do playing with the Big Four.  75% of the reason Shaq looked so awesome last year was because he got uncontested alley oops that came as part of being an after thought for opposing defenses.  Johnson should get the exact same looks. 

And while people can knock him about his lack of bulk and unrefined post game, none of that will matter if Rondo is lobbing him passes with no one within 5 feet of him. 

[Moranis]

  If Rondo's injured the Heat are better, other than that, not so much. Unless Wade or James become great spot up shooters or develop killer mid-range games the Heat are eminently beatable.

so game 1 and game 2 don't matter.  Good to know, you just ignore games when it doesn't suit your premise. 

This board needs to come to the realization that the Heat won because they were better.  It really is that simple.

And Dalembert will not come here on a one year contract.  Now if the C's gave him the full MLE they might have a shot at signing him, but Ainge isn't going to sign Dalembert or any other role player/low level starter for more then 1 year. 

[BballTim]

  If Rondo's injured the Heat are better, other than that, not so much. Unless Wade or James become great spot up shooters or develop killer mid-range games the Heat are eminently beatable.

so game 1 and game 2 don't matter.  Good to know, you just ignore games when it doesn't suit your premise. 

  Haha. Game 1 and 2 matter, they just don't matter to the point that they prove that the Heat are all but invincible vs the Celts. They matter exactly as much as the games in Boston, where we blew them out once and lost in OT when Rondo couldn't move his arm.

This board needs to come to the realization that the Heat won because they were better.  It really is that simple.

  What the board needs to realize is that we were a top team for much of the year and the big three aren't going to fall apart in the offseason.

And Dalembert will not come here on a one year contract.  Now if the C's gave him the full MLE they might have a shot at signing him, but Ainge isn't going to sign Dalembert or any other role player/low level starter for more then 1 year. 

  Probably not, but there may not be anything like the MLE going forward.

[paulcowens]

 

This board needs to come to the realization that the Heat won because they were better.  It really is that simple.

 

Well said.  Let's ignore the fact that we were probably the best team in the NBA for most of last season, that we had Miami's number for most of last season, that we were severely disrupted by Danny's Too Much Coffee trade deadline extravaganza of moves on the verge of the playoffs, and that our best player was (intentionally?) injured in the middle of the Miami series.   So yes, when you take that all away, you have to say that Miami was undoubtedly the better team.

[bfrombleacher]

 

This board needs to come to the realization that the Heat won because they were better.  It really is that simple.

 

Well said.  Let's ignore the fact that we were probably the best team in the NBA for most of last season, that we had Miami's number for most of last season, that we were severely disrupted by Danny's Too Much Coffee trade deadline extravaganza of moves on the verge of the playoffs, and that our best player was (intentionally?) injured in the middle of the Miami series.   So yes, when you take that all away, you have to say that Miami was undoubtedly the better team.

[Inside-Out]

The only moving of Pierce will be a trade of the insured contract in the event something really sucky happens.  Period.

I think Green, a swing-forward, is a big deal because I think it suggest an effort to extend the PP/KG era by having a legit 6th man coming into his prime able to play either position.

As much as BBD drives me absolutely crazy, especially last season, I think he has value for this same reason as a swing-big to back up KG and JO as a minutes sponge next season.

So I'm not into the nuclear option, nor would it make much sense for the next season, since I think there is both talent and depth for the first time in a while (with JG and BBD back), and a bit of continuity as well.  Add in D-West, and I'm pretty confident in a good year, and would try not to screw it up.

How much do I like a Rondo/JG/BBD going forward?  Not too much, but add Al Jefferson (or, of course, Option A: DH), and I like it quite a bit.  If just one of Bradley, the picks this year or next works out and we get one top-level big, and I think we have a shot for quite a while to come.

[BASS_THUMPER]

think Green, a swing-forward, is a big deal because I think it suggest an effort to extend the PP/KG era by having a legit 6th man coming into his prime able to play either position.

true in out..

trade rondo tho..

lakers say kobe fallen off..we should do an even steven trade..

[bfrombleacher]

People here sure are enthusiastic when it comes to getting rid of Rondo.