Rumor: Celtics targeting Chuck Hayes

[EJPLAYA]

We already have a Chuck Hayes in Glen. If BBD is focused and fired up enough he displays the same amount of energy that Chuck Hayes have, and is a better mid range shooter.

I like how Hayes plays. But I'd rather go for a legit big.

If by “a better mid range shooter” you mean that BBD sucks from the outside, but Hayes sucks a little more then you’d be accurate. If you are trying to insinuate that BBD is a GOOD outside shooter then you’d be completely off in left field.

I’d take Hayes’ 8 pts and 8 boards on 53% shooting over BBD’s 12 its and 5.5 boards on 44% shooting any day of the week! Not sure that I really want Hayes, but anyone not named BBD will make my game viewing experience much more enjoyable...

[Silent Storm]

If Carl Landry is available he would be a great pickup and a vast upgrade over BBD.

[ningrim]

Rockets fan here. Chuck Hayes is an elite post defender, he shuts down Amare, KG. He has extremely quick hands and feet. His base is incredibly strong, he cannot be moved, PFs often end up farther out than when they started. Plus he can rip the ball out with those strong and fast hands.

He plays hard on every play. He's a very smart team defender. There's a reason JVG and Adelman played him heavy minutes despite him being limited offensively.

Hayes shuts down KG

http://youtu.be/oiW1S7rD3Y0

Hayes shuts down Pierce on the perimeter.

http://youtu.be/wbRZZLD48B4

[Alowesio]

I don't understand how Chuck Hayes can defend at all at 6'6".  At least if we get him, I'll learn something.

He's really, really strong. KG has had issues with him in recent years because he can't move him a single inch when he tries to back him down. So he's kind of like BBD in that aspect, but he can actually pull down defensive rebounds.

Yeah his size makes him a liability in help defense, but man to man he's great.

From those highlights he looks like a much better version of Big baby.  I'd like someone who could provide more help defense though.

[heitingas]

kurt thomas is a cheaper version of chuck hayes, and they're the same height around 6'7, that's more realistic.

[Who]

Yeah his size makes him a liability in help defense, but man to man he's great.

In this Celtics defensive system, what is more important, help or man-to-man defense?  To put another way, who would be a better fit, all other things being equal, a big who is above average on help defense and average on man-to-man or one who is above average on man-to-man and average on help defense?

Help defense

Team defense is far more important from your center than man-to-man defense. There is a much larger number of opportunities for a strong team defender (C) to positive impact your defense than a strong man-to-man defender (C). Huge difference, team D is much more important.

[Who]

Chuck Hayes is a good to very good team defender as a PF. Just not a center because he's too small to challenge shots at the basket (a primary defensive responsibility for a five).

Chuck Hayes is a very strong pick and roll defender, good transition defender, is one of the most versatile defenders in the league on switches (can switch 1 through 5), reads the game well and makes timely defensive rotations, has good quickness and can recover and contest jump-shooters. Very disciplined and focused on team defense.

He can do things that help your team defense and his value defensively as a four is very high.

Unfortunately, as a five, his inability to protect the basket negates the many other good things he does as a team defender / man-to-man defender.

[Who]

I don't understand how Chuck Hayes can defend at all at 6'6".  At least if we get him, I'll learn something.

Hayes has a freakish combination of (1) quickness, agility, co-ordination, balance and overall mobility (2) physical strength and a low center of gravity (3) stamina.

He lacks explosiveness quickness + leaping ability + length.

When Jeff Van Gundy was the coach of the Houston Rockets, he used to say that Chuck Hayes was the most versatile defender on the Rockets. That he was one of two players in the league, the other being Ben Wallace, who had the quickness/agility to defend guards + the physical strength/size to defend big men in the post. I think JVG also used this same point to compare Hayes to Rodman (defensive versatility, athletic gifts).

The Rockets did drills where they'd pressure the ball full-court and several of their comments gave glowing reports about tough a defender Hayes was to bring the ball up. One-on-one. Hayes pressuring those little 6 foot lightening quick guards.

That is how athletic Chuck Hayes.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

We already have a Chuck Hayes in Glen. If BBD is focused and fired up enough he displays the same amount of energy that Chuck Hayes have, and is a better mid range shooter.

I like how Hayes plays. But I'd rather go for a legit big.

If by “a better mid range shooter” you mean that BBD sucks from the outside, but Hayes sucks a little more then you’d be accurate. If you are trying to insinuate that BBD is a GOOD outside shooter then you’d be completely off in left field.

I’d take Hayes’ 8 pts and 8 boards on 53% shooting over BBD’s 12 its and 5.5 boards on 44% shooting any day of the week! Not sure that I really want Hayes, but anyone not named BBD will make my game viewing experience much more enjoyable...

I don't want BBD either. All I'm saying is the C's should rather just spend the money on a legit scorer or legit big instead of Chuck Hayes. I love how he plays, but he is still undersized. WIth KG and JO now injury prone, we can't just rely on him. We need someone who's tall enough to get up there. I love Chuck Hayes. I sure as hell want him over BBD. If we could get a big and him, we're good to go. Im not sure it's going to happen though. So Im leaning towards geting a legit big or legit scorer.

[Who]

hmmm dunno, he's one of the least athletic big men in the NBA but he could be good if we stick him at PF on defense and C on offense.

The guy we need is going to have to guard Bosh and/or Boozer and Stoudemire.

Chuck Hayes would do an excellent defensive job on both of those players ... because both players are overly-reliant on their face-up games + explosive quickness to beat their defender.

Chuck Hayes has the lateral quickness, agility and strength to stay in front of them and keep them from getting to the basket. Leads to a lot of highly contested jump shots.

------------------------------------------

I remember a game last season where Hayes' defense on Amare in the fourth quarter keyed a Houston Rockets win over the Knicks. He received a lot of plaudits for his defensive effort on Amare after that game. Let me see if I can find one of those articles ...

Not the article I was remembering but close enough

http://www.chron.com/sports/rockets/article/Rockets-clamp-down-on-Knicks-for-third-straight-1683331.php?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:b3fefe75-a91b-4be9-a7ec-fabbcb4efdc2

“As a team, we played great team defense to hold them under 90 points,” center Chuck Hayes said. “Our defense was great. It shows we can do it against the worst offensive team and the best.”

Much of that came from Hayes’ defense on Amare Stoudemire, the league’s second-leading scorer and the Knicks’ MVP candidate. Stoudemire scored 25 points, just as he did in the first meeting with the Rockets. But as with that game, Hayes kept him under control without the double team that Stoudemire usually gets, leaving the Knicks’ shooters open.

The Knicks made just 42.2 percent of their shots, scoring 18 points fewer than their league-best average.

“You have to give Chuck so much credit for playing that guy the whole time,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “He just had a great game.

“Chuck is one of the best defenders in the league. Thank goodness he was playing both times we played them. He does a great job on (Stoudemire).”

Down the stretch, however, the Rockets took control with defense.

In the final nine minutes, the Knicks made just four of 13 shots and had just one bucket in the paint until Stoudemire put in a slam in the final seconds with the Rockets getting out of the way.

“Against these guys, that’s a big win,” said Shane Battier. “No. 1 scoring offense in the league. It shows what we’re capable of when we really concentrate on the defensive end.”

[Celtics4ever]

And earlier in the thread I posted him getting torn apart by Dwight and Gasol.   Sorry, no matter how strong a guy is 6" is a big height difference.  Strength is only part of post defense.  He only is listed at 240.  Mass is importation too and if your giving up 6" and 30 lbs then your going to get owned by anyone by any abilty.

I am close to 6-8 and no 6-2 guy ever gave me problems no matter how strong they are.  They simply are not tall enough to mess with my sight aim.  They are too short to play behind you because you can lob.  All they can do is deny you the sweet spot down low and if you can shoot from other spots than that they are not effective.   This is why Baby can guard some bigs because he has strength and bulk but gets ate alive by some others.  It also didn't matter how hard they tried.  Size matters in sports most definitely.

Has anyone guarded someone 6" taller than them?   I am guessing no.   

[toneskeet]

Yeah his size makes him a liability in help defense, but man to man he's great.

In this Celtics defensive system, what is more important, help or man-to-man defense?  To put another way, who would be a better fit, all other things being equal, a big who is above average on help defense and average on man-to-man or one who is above average on man-to-man and average on help defense?

Help defense

Team defense is far more important from your center than man-to-man defense. There is a much larger number of opportunities for a strong team defender (C) to positive impact your defense than a strong man-to-man defender (C). Huge difference, team D is much more important.

Where did you get the idea that his help D was bad? He has long arms to bother shots (look at the videos) and he is on par with BBD taking charges. that helps to make up for his height, I think he will fit in just fine if he comes here. 

[Roy H.]

"Houston, Portland, Sacramento, Minnesota, Toronto, and Boston are all inquiring about Chuck’s services,” [Hayes' agent] told CSNNW.com. “Chuck would love to play for anyone of those teams. There are some teams in that group who are ready to get a deal done now, but I’m not at liberty to say who at this point.”

Link

[dmny5000]

"Houston, Portland, Sacramento, Minnesota, Toronto, and Boston are all inquiring about Chuck’s services,” [Hayes' agent] told CSNNW.com. “Chuck would love to play for anyone of those teams. There are some teams in that group who are ready to get a deal done now, but I’m not at liberty to say who at this point.”

Link

Thanks for the update, I for one would love to have him on the C's.

I wonder if we'll keep hearing rumors until next Friday or if free agents will commit to teams even though they're not supposed to.

[hpantazo]

"Houston, Portland, Sacramento, Minnesota, Toronto, and Boston are all inquiring about Chuck’s services,” [Hayes' agent] told CSNNW.com. “Chuck would love to play for anyone of those teams. There are some teams in that group who are ready to get a deal done now, but I’m not at liberty to say who at this point.”

Link

Thanks for the update, I for one would love to have him on the C's.

I wonder if we'll keep hearing rumors until next Friday or if free agents will commit to teams even though they're not supposed to.

I think some have already committed but can't say anything yet.