stop suggesting we pick up a center, its not a need.

[KCattheStripe]

Looking at the Heat and pretending it's proof of the theory is a pretty weak conclusion.

The Heat have the BEST PLAYER IN THE NBA. They also have likely the 3rd or 4th best player in the NBA.

They also have, although a bit hobbled, one of the top 15 players in the NBA, maybe top 20.

You might as well point to the Heat and say you don't need a bench, or point to the Bull's from the 90's and say you don't need a talented center to succeed.

Mr. Chalmers, I knew BJ Armstrong and you sir are no BJ Armstrong.

[j804]

Looking at the Heat and pretending it's proof of the theory is a pretty weak conclusion.

The Heat have the BEST PLAYER IN THE NBA. They also have likely the 3rd or 4th best player in the NBA.

They also have, although a bit hobbled, one of the top 15 players in the NBA, maybe top 20.

You might as well point to the Heat and say you don't need a bench, or point to the Bull's from the 90's and say you don't need a talented center to succeed.

lol pretty much our defense is a solid big away from being nasty on that end

[KCattheStripe]

Stephen Sondheim, basketball strategist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBF5KO4iuK4

[BballTim]

you either choose size or speed. when you have rondo on  your team, you choose speed by default to stock up on. playing 2 power forwards can do wonders for us in transition as well as offenively.

You're right, that's why the Lakers of the 80's built a team around Magic and Kareem and the Lakers of the 00s built a team around Kobe and Shaq and the Spurs around duncan and Parker. Because you have to choose between size and speed.

shaq and kareem are once in a lifetime players. they are the exception, not the rule. the only "shaq" in the league right now is dwight howard, so yes you can build both size and speed with dwight howard, but that isnt an option for 31 other teams.

1) Duncan isn't a once in a lifetime player?

2) You do not win in the NBA without size. It doesn't happen. The dominant bigs dominate every era unless that era had Michael Jordan-- even then when Jordan retired for those two years who filled the gap? Hakeem. This includes the 70's and 80's when the game was infinitely faster.

 Bird, Magic and Isiah dominated the 80s.

And what did all their teams have? All world front lines. Parrish, McHale, Kareem, Lambier and Rodman. This is ignoring Moses Malone transforming the 763rs into a title team and The Rockets almost building a dynasty built around Hakeem and Sampson.

  If you want to say that Bird and Magic had good or even great bigs on their teams that's fine. If you want to claim that Bird and Magic weren't clearly the best players on their teams and easily the best players in the league that's silly. Shouldn't you have to be arguably the best player on your team to dominate the league?

A) Magic wasn't the clear-cut best player on his team until the mid-80s.

B) Good of you to admit that Kareem, McHale and Parrish were good bigs. Possibly even great. 

C)Unless you have a wing named Michael Jordan, you simply don't win a championship without having the best PF/C combo in the finals. And even Michael had Rodman and Horace Grant.

  Magic was the best player on all but one of those title teams, and the Celts didn't always have the best pf/c combo in the finals that they won.

[indeedproceed]

McHale/Parish was a decent duo, passable I suppose.

[indeedproceed]

I wouldn't go so far as to say you need 'the best' PF/c combo to win a title. I just think ideally one has to be at or near the top of his position, and the other has to complement him well, as well as being a capable and willing defender.

I suppose it can be done with elite defenders at the 4/5. Gotta have proflic talent on the wings, at least one being among the best of his generation (which is logical, if the bigs don't take it).

There are outliers, but few.

Who is the best combo this season, Gasol Bynum likely.

[BballTim]

McHale/Parish was a decent duo, passable I suppose.

  Malone was an MVP candidate for Houston, and Hakeem and Sampson was quite a duo.

[Gregory0]

lol，well

[Celtics4ever]

HEATS best players wear black and white and use whistles.   They are also their to help when the plays break down or they miss a shot.

[mctyson]

quite possibly the most ridiculous thread ever created....

Actually the OP makes a great point and technically I agree with it.

First, I think we have to clear up the term "Center."  I don't even think this word applies anymore in the NBA.  Like the OP mentioned, the traditional back-to-the-basket post scorer that operates in the paint is a rare and dying breed.  There are few offenses in the entire league that revolve around a post scorer.  Even San Antonio, with one of the most offensively gifted big men of the last 40 years in Duncan (though he's a face-up player), has had an offense for a few years that relied on Tony Parker and 3-pt shooting.  

In the NBA you have what Doc calls "Bigs."  Guys 6'9" and over that can defend a post player and harass people in the paint by blocking shots.  But these players can rotate between the PF/C or 4/5 role, even the 3 in some cases (ex. Lamar Odom). Since the game is played on the perimeter more, traditional Centers are pulled away from their anchor position on defense more frequently and are exposed.  That's why KG at the 5 became a nightmare for our opponents - they call pick-and-rolls to isolate opposing centers but ours happens to be one with the agility of a SF and one of the best pick-and-roll defending Bigs ever.

The league requires flexibility more than ever.  The OP is right that if we focus on making sure we draft or trade for a guy that is a traditional Center just so we can say we have one, our team may be worse off because our competition (Bulls, Heat) aren't built in the same way.  For example, is Joakim Noah a Center?  Or is he just a big guy who gets boards, plays tough D, and can get some points around the rim?

Our roster might be better off if we get 3 or 4 guys who are 6'8" to 6'10" who can defend the pick-and-roll on the perimeter, rebound, and block shots, than focusing on getting one guy (and playing him significant minutes) who is big and heavy and can play behind a traditional post player.

So yes, we technically don't NEED a Center, though it would be nice to have one or two of them.  

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

A Center is ALWAYS in need. If the Celtics have a chance to get 3 centers this offseason, I would be all for it

Size matters, and is the main reason a team wins a championship
Just imagine if a skillful center (offensively and defensively) comes on the Celtics and plays alongside KG. The Celtics would be dominant

Think of all the rebounds, paint defense, high scoring near the paint, drawing double teams for open jumpshots, fear of the other team of driving in the lane, blocked shots. A guy can dream can't he......

THIS......END THREAD

[KCattheStripe]

I wouldn't go so far as to say you need 'the best' PF/c combo

I would say you need to have the best one in the finals.

[More Banners]

If we consider KG and Wilcox both PF's, that would make a heck of a front line for not having a Center.

Doc's offenses seem to use movement and spacing to create opportunities, not inside-out post-up stuff, so a duo of PF's could be a pretty great option offensively.

Defensively, you can scheme anything.  KG is a touch thin to guard Howard, but sure did a heck of a job.  So did Perk, but they guarded him differently (KG denied with length, Perk positioned, bodied and muscled him).

So I don't think we need a stiff to play Center, but we do need length, and mobility and range at the position should be what we get as an advantage.

So we don't need a center, we just need a nice, mobile guy, close to 7' tall if possible, or at least a wingspan at least that wide, who can run the floor and has range to at least 20ft.

Yeah, we don't need a center, we just need to sign the next Dirk for Rondo to pass to.

[indeedproceed]

McHale/Parish was a decent duo, passable I suppose.

  Malone was an MVP candidate for Houston, and Hakeem and Sampson was quite a duo.

Yeah man. Plus, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

[indeedproceed]

HEATS best players wear black and white and use whistles.   They are also their to help when the plays break down or they miss a shot.

Actually, the 'players' you're talking about are actually referees. They're officials meant to be impartial and enforce the rules.

Besides everyone knows they're controlled by the Illuminati.