Do the Celtics have enough bigs?

[nickagneta]

I wanted to address this because I saw this topic in the Chad Ford Mock Draft thread and thought it deserved its own thread.

The premise is that several posters in the mock draft thread suggested that the Celtics had plenty of bigs and that the Celtics management should concentrate on drafting replacements for Pierce and Ray Allen. First, remember that back in March Ainge was quoted as saying the team needed another big. While they signed Hollins and Williams, I don't expect either to be on the team next year and so the need for more big guys will continue.

Second, even though the Celtics have 4-5 guys that are almost 7 feet tall, are we really "big"? We are definitely tall, but are we big?

Most of our seven footers have little to no low post offensive game and, except for KG, they are all pretty mediocre to poor rebounders overall. KG is the only Celtic that shows up anywhere close to the top of the defensive rebounding rate or total rebounding rate leaderboards. Stiemsma's number are okay but not great. And Johnson, Hollins and Williams career numbers are all rather poor( I know JJJ is a rookie but he has shown little in the way of being a good rebounder).

The Celtics IMHO need big players. Mind you, you don't have to be tall to play big. Kenneth Faried is proof of that. But the Celtics have a bunch of tall thin guys that love to shot outside jump shots and who are great weak side shot blocker but I want someone who will be big and play big. Bynum, both Gasols, Chandler, Howard, Noah, Varejao, Love...these guys are bigs that play big.

In the future, I don't want this team littered with tall 7 foot guys that don't want to rebound and just want to shoot outside jumpers

[Fafnir]

No we don't.

Greg is looking to be a high quality backup C going forward or a low quality starter if he can get his foul rate under control. Other than that we have JJJ who is an offensive project at PF, KG (who is nearly done), and Bass who is more of a backup PF than a starter.

So once KG is done our entire big man rotation falls apart as we'll have no defensive anchor to play the majority of the C minutes, just two offensive PFs (if we keep Bass) and a backup C.

[Roy H.]

I'm surprised that anybody feels differently.  This team absolutely needs to get bigger, and more skilled in terms of rebounding.

[wdleehi]

Celtics need bigs.


Someone who can be a low post offensive threat.

Someone who can control the boards.

Someone who can make the other team think twice before attacking the rim.


In a perfect world, the Celtics can get one guy that does it all. 

But two quality guys that can fill these rolls would mean a lot to this team. 

[clover]

The C's aren't competitive post-KG without a genuine star in at least one of the big positions.  If the C's can somehow draft such a star, that'll go a long way toward their rebuild.

This is a relatively strong draft with a number of at least 'good potential' bigs and very young high-potential 3's.  Should Danny determine that Meyers Leonard is good enough to need and warrant his combining both 1st's to move up and snag him, for example, I expect that is what he should do.  Or if Moultrie is available for one of his picks and Danny deems him worthy, I expect he should bag him.  But big-man project reaches are seldom a good idea, so quality of course is paramount.

With Stiemer, Wilcox, Williams, Hollins, and 3J, it does appear as if Danny has sufficient serviceable-to-backup-to-third-string options available, it's that next generation star he needs--whether by draft or by crook.

[wdleehi]

The C's aren't competitive post-KG without a genuine star in at least one of the big positions.  If the C's can somehow draft such a star, that'll go a long way toward their rebuild.

This is a relatively strong draft with a number of at least 'good potential' bigs and very young high-potential 3's.  Should Danny determine that Meyers Leonard is good enough to need and warrant his combining both 1st's to move up and snag him, for example, I expect that is what he should do.  Or if Moultrie is available for one of his picks and Danny deems him worthy, I expect he should bag him.  But big-man project reaches are seldom a good idea, so quality of course is paramount.

With Stiemer, Wilcox, Williams, Hollins, and 3J, it does appear as if Danny has sufficient serviceable-to-backup-to-third-string options available, it's that next generation star he needs--whether by draft or by crook.

It would not surprise me to see only two of them back next year. 

[pearljammer10]

The question should be "do the celtics have enough quality bigs?" because that answer would certainly be no.

right now we have bodies. not really any bigs worth cracking the rotation.

[mkogav]

I wanted to address this because I saw this topic in the Chad Ford Mock Draft thread and thought it deserved its own thread.

The premise is that several posters in the mock draft thread suggested that the Celtics had plenty of bigs and that the Celtics management should concentrate on drafting replacements for Pierce and Ray Allen. First, remember that back in March Ainge was quoted as saying the team needed another big. While they signed Hollins and Williams, I don't expect either to be on the team next year and so the need for more big guys will continue.

Second, even though the Celtics have 4-5 guys that are almost 7 feet tall, are we really "big"? We are definitely tall, but are we big?

Most of our seven footers have little to no low post offensive game and, except for KG, they are all pretty mediocre to poor rebounders overall. KG is the only Celtic that shows up anywhere close to the top of the defensive rebounding rate or total rebounding rate leaderboards. Stiemsma's number are okay but not great. And Johnson, Hollins and Williams career numbers are all rather poor( I know JJJ is a rookie but he has shown little in the way of being a good rebounder).

The Celtics IMHO need big players. Mind you, you don't have to be tall to play big. Kenneth Faried is proof of that. But the Celtics have a bunch of tall thin guys that love to shot outside jump shots and who are great weak side shot blocker but I want someone who will be big and play big. Bynum, both Gasols, Chandler, Howard, Noah, Varejao, Love...these guys are bigs that play big.

In the future, I don't want this team littered with tall 7 foot guys that don't want to rebound and just want to shoot outside jumpers

The fact that 36 y/o KG is starting at center is all the proof you need. This is not to mention that ALL the bigs on the roster, besides for TripJ, are some form or free agent or have contract options (Bass).

Yes, the team needs a few bigs, IMO.

This starts with a younger starting quality C. This will probably come through free agency/trade and not the draft, although they may draft a C in addition to the free agent.

*PLEASE* Danny, not Chris Caveman, please!

I expect Bass and KG back next season, maybe Stiemer to. Green may also be back and play PF (small ball). This would leave the same HUGE Perkins size hole at C.

Hibbert? Asik? Hawes?

Who knows what Danny will do, I just hope he does something.

Mk

[clover]

The C's aren't competitive post-KG without a genuine star in at least one of the big positions.  If the C's can somehow draft such a star, that'll go a long way toward their rebuild.

This is a relatively strong draft with a number of at least 'good potential' bigs and very young high-potential 3's.  Should Danny determine that Meyers Leonard is good enough to need and warrant his combining both 1st's to move up and snag him, for example, I expect that is what he should do.  Or if Moultrie is available for one of his picks and Danny deems him worthy, I expect he should bag him.  But big-man project reaches are seldom a good idea, so quality of course is paramount.

With Stiemer, Wilcox, Williams, Hollins, and 3J, it does appear as if Danny has sufficient serviceable-to-backup-to-third-string options available, it's that next generation star he needs--whether by draft or by crook.

It would not surprise me to see only two of them back next year. 

He certainly can't use them all.  My guess is three of them, with some other possibilities as small (big) sign-and-trades.

[SHAQATTACK]

We need a good big ... like Bynum or Hibert or the Gasols.  

Whole lot of worthless tall guys is bogus..  But we do need to UPGRADE the center postion or overhaul it whatever.  The players DA has got us are stop gaps.  

Like to see more of Williams or give him a look next season...depending on the draft.  

Steamer has been decent as a backup , and I'm for keeping him , IF his feet can heal , so he can play up to his best level.

I really liked Wilcox alot until he had that side track injury , he was super active , and while not 7 foot tall, he  was a scrapper and hustler ...like my Celtic hero Cowans. I believe he'll be back in the best health ever and he likes to run the floor, rebound and get the loose ball and play defense . What's cool ,is HE LOVES being a Celtic , thats the right attitude.  

I like Steamer and Wilcox.

I'm for upgrading bigs anytime.

maybe we can pick up DH for a bargain price  ...with all his issues...his back issues and mental state?  

  

[LooseCannon]

The Celtics have so few players on their roster who could plausibly be here after Pierce's current contract runs out that they should just go for the best player available, regardless of position.  If after a full evaluation Ainge thinks that someone like Fab Melo is a likely bust due to what's between his ears, then don't draft him just because he is big.

Ultimately, I want bigs who are like KG in that the care more about defense than offense but are capable of scoring more than five feet from the basket.  What I really want is to be able to put Rondo on the floor with three guys with good shot selection who can make threes without going small.

[ManUp]

Wilcox, Bass, Stiemsma,  Garnett, and Johnson that makes 5. We don't need more bigs, we need better bigs. Drafting a center in the back end of the draft isn't the way to get one, atleast not an immediate contributor. I'm totally against drafting for need in the draft.

[Marcus13]

No, we don't.

However, I think at our position in the draft you take the BPA who isn't a PG.  None of our other four positions are "set" for the future by any means.

[colincb]

No.  KG's likely gone next year leaving an undersized PF in Bass who may leave through free agency after he opts out and a 2nd or 3rd string center in GS.  Wilcox was a solid back-up 4/5, but he's coming off heart surgery. Hollins and Williams are scrub backups.

Obviously, you don't draft some one who's not likely to be much better than what you have, but we don't have much.

[Q_FBE]

Nope. We are in serious trouble if we have to play the Lakers in the NBA finals. We can shut down Kobe but they will attack us with Gasol and Bynum.