So guess our center

[clover]

I'm guessing Dalembert, somehow.

[Surferdad]

I'm guessing Dalembert, swung after Houston S&T's him to the C's.  Then the MMLE is used to plug in whatever hole that deal might leave.

I  don't think Ainge has the assets left to trade for Dalembert, unless you're giving up West.

[Celtics4ever]

Chris Wilcox.

[Jon]

What serviceable center can we possibly get for the mini-MLE?  Anyone have any good ideas? Because KG simply can't do it long-term.

KG.

I don't see why he can't do it long term. He did it in 2008, he has done it since, and it likely plays into the talents of the team.

Also, I'd argue in many circumnstances playing the 5 would be EASIER foe KG. By in large, there are far more talentless stiffs at the 5 position who KG could cheat off of to help other defenders. Plus, while a guy like Perk is clearly stronger than KG, is OKC going to exploit this mismatch by pounding the ball down to Perk?

I hope so.

I really think people aren't actually considering the actual centers in the league when they think of KG at the 5 95% of the time. And the other 5% of the time, he'll do at least as well as other 5s against the likes of Bynum and Howard.

[Who]

I really think people aren't actually considering the actual centers in the league when they think of KG at the 5 95% of the time. And the other 5% of the time, he'll do at least as well as other 5s against the likes of Bynum and Howard.

Or how difficult it'll be for centers to defend Garnett on the other end of the floor.

Few fives are comfortable stepping out 17-20 feet away from the basket which they'll have to because of David West's + Kevin Garnett's jump-shooting ability. There is nobody they can hide their five on while they're in the game together. And I mean this not only in terms of man-to-man defense but knowing how to play effective team defense.

Most fives do not know how to rotate and recover properly against highly skilled centers who can play away from the basket. They really struggle to know when to commit to the help D and when to stay at home. Regularly get caught out in no-mans land.

It's the balance of the matchup overall, in terms of offense + defense + rebounding, that matters.

Not solely defense and not solely man-to-man defense (about 25-30% of a center's defensive responsibility) and not solely post defense (which apparently only accounts for about a third of a center's man-to-man D). Have to look at everything. Not get too bogged down in one area and lose focus of the whole picture. 

Kevin Garnett is a very effective center.

[Celtics18]

If we can somehow afford Kwame Brown with our mini MLE, then I say that would be my number one choice.  Also, I know everyone says he's a stiff, but I like the more realistic target of Kyrylo Fesenko.  

[Celtics4ever]

He will be a big not a center folks.   On offense he will line up where he did before and there will be no change.   Bass and Wilcox right now will be where Perk was in the lineup.  Positions are useful labels but as long as people are where they are supposed to on the offense and everyone has a man on them in defense they really are not that important as they once were.

I think a lot of these guys are interchangeable.  But KG will be shooting the same old jumpers and not jump hooks.   Some other big will be down low.  On defense you match up our guys for the biggest disadvantage to them and advantage to us.  It is much more fluid than they used to be.

Doc refers to bigs as bigs.   You don't here him calling this guy a C that much or a PF but a big.  KG will get first dibs on which big he will want to be and he will take the high post big most of the time.

C has really became archaic but we all still use it.