Everyone on this board laughed at me when I said we should've traded Perkins for Hibbert after the 2010 finals. I said he was the better re-bounder, shot blocker, slightly better offensive player & "Legit 7-footer" we've never had to play above the rim & dunk without getting blocked (perkins & big baby flashbacks smh).
We only needed Perkins because he was the top 1 on 1 defender for Dwight Howard (proven in the same 2010 finals run when Vince Carter proved he couldn't close or carry a team at the end of his career by missing crucial free-throws). & now that he is gone, we have no real front line center defense (sorry stiemsma but the refs proved this year you won't be allowed to play ever against the elite teams for long periods of time) to protect against threats to our paint in the era of rondo. Dwight+Bynum+LaMarcus Aldridge+Chris Bosh+Marc Gasol+Zach Randolph+Al Horford+Kevin Love (+Serge Ibaka if he develops that midrange shot with consistency) are in our foreseeable future in terms of paint play.
We have to face reality. Dwight Howard is not coming through our door. Portland has made it clear everyone is expendable except for LaMarcus Aldridge (who has reportedly liked Dallas in the past). Kevin Love is buddy-buddy with Blake Griffin in the same vein of Dwyane Wade & LeBron (& in my opinion, he's just a better David Lee---stat stuffer on a bad team---).
I wouldn't be opposed to throwing $ at Bynum (lakers turned celtics & vice versa---it's happened before)
for a last resort because of his ceiling, but Laker land has vowed to keep him (Melo wasn't enough for them to bite on a trade). But in my opinion Bynum is just a taller, more temperamental "rondo"--turns it on & off---if you thought rondo gave us heart attacks in games he should've taken over & won these past 4 seasons, then keep a defibrillator close by.
The only borderline all-star(s) our market will attract, that we actually
need (rebounding, shot blocking)--no deron/cp3/howard/pau (who don't want to play here), that want to play here are Josh Smith (Rondo was his wingman & current buddy). I have a feeling Tyreke Evans applies here since Ainge liked him before the draft & the Kings have yet to offer him an extension---& we all know "Danny being Danny".
With cap space flexibility, ray on the proverbial verge of being shipped---with Avery not too far behind if Ainge sees a deal too tempting to turn down, Jeff Green playing possum (we hope & pray) with his talent ceiling, KG not commanding top dollar from Ainge (Danny is loyal but not a fool to put all his $$$ in KG), & no immediate rookies/sophomores being better than any of the front line offensive players we have in our league today, i say we bite the bullet & clean house.
Rondo (top 5 PG who only needs more consistency with shot i.e. Kidd flashbacks)
Pierce (deserves to retire a Celtic, just like Kobe deserves to retire a Laker---the respect+loyalty aspect in this league has diminished since Reggie Miller retired & "The Decision" came to fruition. Just picture what would have happened to the GM/Front Office if any of our top Celtic HOF's were traded 2+ years early to a lottery team --*cough cough NJ for Gerald Wallace*--before they retired)
KG (in the words of Doc "our life". Garnett is loyal to a fault & will retire if he's not a Celtic.
Garnett started by turning pro before the NBA banned high school players. He was also a 19-year old rookie at time when the NBA granted free agency to players after just three years. This led to Garnett signing a $126 million contract extension during his third season, and just prior to NBA rules changed rookie contracts. And then in 2003, Garnett signed a $100 million extension with the Timberwolves just before the NBA changed the salary cap rules in 2005. This has a led to a career earnings that dwarfs those of other players.
Keep in mind this man is a top 20 highest paid athlete of our generation, & has assets, endorsement deals & investments in other places that don't include his $240+ million NBA salary made throughout his career. Garnett is not a petty type of man to keep a hold-out bind on Ainge for $30-40 million dollars (unless he figures out a way to hold prisoner that German doctor who drained Kobe & Dywane's Leg & fuse his body with adamantium---which in case the NBA will be our oyster for 5 more years
)
Doc Rivers (is still under contract---Orlando coaching rumors were just that---rumors---probably started by Chris Broussard in an unsuccessful attempt to split our locker room during the semi's-conf. finals. tsk tsk)
Those 4 people should be untouched. Everyone else in our ball club should be near that red phone like Comissioner Gordon in case their time comes.
All our team ever needed was instant offense to keep pressure off of our Jekyll & Hyde (hide) bench since '08, & a legit 7" Center who could rebound, shot block, learn to shoot mid-range to bail out a dead play, attempt to dunk & get fouled (not shot blocked every time like Big Baby or fumble with catching the pass & finishing strong like Ryan Hollins smh) get back on defense, & run the floor with Rondo on occasion to get into our offensive sets quicker if the time called for it. Offensive rebounding, a post game being developed & mentored by Tim Duncan--with a decent hook shot to boot, & a natural disgust being realized for the Miami Heatles are just sprinkles onto the ice cream cone. Pause. lol.
I heavily suggest Ainge sign/& or trade for Roy Hibbert & Monta Ellis (*Tyreke Evans if he prefers his youth to Monta Ellis' age--although Tyreke is a bigger ball hog than Ellis) to pair with Rondo--the best pure PG in the league who will eventually get the consistent ESPN & nationwide recognition he deserves when it's all said & done, KG & Pierce. Let the other pieces fall where they may (preferably 3-point shooters i.e. Gary Neal, J.J. Redick--same work ethic as Ray Allen, & etc.) to mirror & build upon the Warriors/Magic style of inside-outside play for stretches when Rondo turns it off (why rondo why?!) & stops being aggressive --we all know the 'walk the ball up the court yell at pierce & ray to get to their spots' routine (better PG in Rondo >Jameer/Duhon/Curry/Davis [shell of himself who was a locker room cancer] & slightly better offensive *mid-range* center in Hibbert > Biedrins/Gortat/Bogut)
******We should not trade for a player in Josh Smith who has repeatedly praised our organization & wants to come here of his own free will to play with his buddy Rondo. It will carve a hole into our already depleted bench depth. Just ask your NY Knick friends--if you have any--how that turned out for them. Remember? Galinari + Chandler + Fields were playing out of their mind before the Melo trade. And right before the playoffs their chemistry shattered & they had no real depth to compete with us in the playoffs (also give credit to Amare who always likes to disappear in the beginning of his contracts, & somehow turns it off when the team needs it most---*1. After the 40+ point 11 rebound performance in game 3 against the Lakers in the conference finals, he disappeared for the rest of the series 2. Back injury in our series after Billups was put on IR 3. Punches glass to ruin what little chance NY had in their Heat series 4. I'm betting a Leg or wrist injury--not too severe--will occur in the 2012-13 season, thus resulting in him being shipped out, but what organization will be desperate to take on his contract? Kings? Bobcats? Warriors? Who knows. Josh Smith will come if he truly wants to in free agency. Patience is a virtue.******
Hopefully we can weather the passing of the torch (Pierce to Rondo) as quickly & painlessly as possible & still remain atop the 2 spots in the Atlantic Division & still compete in the playoffs until our savior arrives (Rondo's shooting consistency + to never turn it off &/or an unknown all-star/superstar who's biding his time until he's ready to butt heads with Rondo & compete for the face of our franchise)
Future RosterRondo/ rookie or vet
Ellis/ rookie or vet or Bradley
Pierce/ rookie or vet or Green
K.G./(
Smith)
Hibbert/ Steimsma or vet
*If Green doesn't command more $, then he's the apparent backup to Pierce. Same applies to Avery Bradley & our rookies, if they're not packaged with Ray in a trade.
Topic: Monta Ellis & Roy Hibbert: Instant-O & Rebounding *Hiring since '10 finals* (Read 3384 times)