Are we headed for the dreaded too deep bench?

[SHAQATTACK]

Remember we are talking the Celtics...where people drop faster than Afganistan.


After last 3 years flooding of the emergency and operating  rooms .

No bench is long enough for me.  

[Celtics4ever]

I concur more fouls are solution not a problem given the refs love of the HEAT.

[bbd24]

No.

Every year people talk themselves into the C's having the best depth in the league. I don't see it.

Given our lack of MVP caliber talent at the top we need quality bench play, we didn't get much of it this past year in the playoffs.

What don't you see ?

Didn't get much quality bench play in the playoffs ?

When you have to play patchwork while missing the likes of Wilcox, Green, & Bradley, yet you still get to game 7 of the Eastern Conf Finals, you probably have a darn well built team.  Starters and bench.

[action781]

Will allow for us to give veterans entire days off for rest and Bradley is beginning the year injured.  We NEED the deep bench.

[The Walker Wiggle]

KG / Bass / Pierce / Ray / Rondo
Steis / Wilcox / Green / AB / Terry

It makes me think a few guys will be unhappy with their minutes, and we'll see more of the bad doc playing too many guys. Alternatively we'll see a lot of small ball since the top 8 is undersized / guard heavy.

Well, this may be premature with only three guards currently on the roster and one true center, a rookie project. No verbal commitment yet from either Ray or Jeff Green - fingers crossed - and very little reason to supect both Stiemsma and Wilcox will be back. (It's not clear we can afford either, let alone both, and stay under $74 million.)

Still, I suspect that Rivers will, yes, run out a lot of small lineups, including Sullinger at center, and frustrate some of the guys 4 through 15. He'll also continue to overplay Garnett, Pierce and Rondo, regardless of depth.

[LarBrd33]

PG - Rondo
SG - Ray
SF - Pierce
PF - Bass
C - KG

I guess Bradley and Terry get the guard minutes off the bench.  There is no Dooling now... some combo of Rondo, Ray, Bradley and Terry will get all of the guard minutes.

Jeff Green is a SF who should be playing SF, but I imagine he can play some backup PF if needed.  

But I guess we'll have some combo of the young unprovens playing backup minutes at the big slots.  WE really relying on the 21st pick (Sullinger) and a d-leaguer (Stiesma) to give us significant minutes?  

I have almost no expectations from Mayo, JaJuan Johnson or any of our 2nd round guard scrubs.  I don't really consider that "deep"... unless I'm missing something, we are 8 deep and possibly 9 or 10 if you want to include Sullinger and Stiesma. 

Are we signing Wilcox?  That's probably a little help.

[Who]

Yeah, if Ray comes back, yeah, it's gonna be tough to find minutes for everybody.

I can see a couple of guys getting squeezed and not reaching their peak level of performance due to lack of, or, inconsistent minutes.

[#1 Lakerhater]

D

on't forget Pietrus!

[Jon]

I think that if Ray and Green are on the team, we're going to go small a lot. 

I could see something like this:

PG - Rondo 36, Terry 12
SG - Bradley 28 mpg, Terry 8, Ray 12
SF - Paul 32, Ray 12, Green 4
PF - Bass 25, Green 23
C - KG 28, backup center of your choice, 20

I really see no other way to pull off getting these guys significant minutes unless we go that route.  Sucks for the rookies unless we go really small with Sullinger or JJJ at center with Bass or Green at the 4. 

[celticinorlando]

still think sully gets minutes like baby or powe got...i think green plays mostly the 3 until the 4th quarter...

closing out the games i see:

Rondo
Jet
PP
Green
KG

PP/ KG is going to get less minutes so someone is going to have to get them...

[BballTim]

PG - Rondo
SG - Ray
SF - Pierce
PF - Bass
C - KG

I guess Bradley and Terry get the guard minutes off the bench.  There is no Dooling now... some combo of Rondo, Ray, Bradley and Terry will get all of the guard minutes.

Jeff Green is a SF who should be playing SF, but I imagine he can play some backup PF if needed.  

But I guess we'll have some combo of the young unprovens playing backup minutes at the big slots.  WE really relying on the 21st pick (Sullinger) and a d-leaguer (Stiesma) to give us significant minutes?  

I have almost no expectations from Mayo, JaJuan Johnson or any of our 2nd round guard scrubs.  I don't really consider that "deep"... unless I'm missing something, we are 8 deep and possibly 9 or 10 if you want to include Sullinger and Stiesma. 

Are we signing Wilcox?  That's probably a little help.

 I wouldn't be surprised to see Wilcox or another big, but Stiemsma gave us significant minutes last year. Are you assuming that his having played in the D league will somehow prevent him from doing so again next year?

[LooseCannon]

Are we going to see the return of the all-bench unit?

[LarBrd33]

PG - Rondo
SG - Ray
SF - Pierce
PF - Bass
C - KG

I guess Bradley and Terry get the guard minutes off the bench.  There is no Dooling now... some combo of Rondo, Ray, Bradley and Terry will get all of the guard minutes.

Jeff Green is a SF who should be playing SF, but I imagine he can play some backup PF if needed.  

But I guess we'll have some combo of the young unprovens playing backup minutes at the big slots.  WE really relying on the 21st pick (Sullinger) and a d-leaguer (Stiesma) to give us significant minutes?  

I have almost no expectations from Mayo, JaJuan Johnson or any of our 2nd round guard scrubs.  I don't really consider that "deep"... unless I'm missing something, we are 8 deep and possibly 9 or 10 if you want to include Sullinger and Stiesma.  

Are we signing Wilcox?  That's probably a little help.

 I wouldn't be surprised to see Wilcox or another big, but Stiemsma gave us significant minutes last year. Are you assuming that his having played in the D league will somehow prevent him from doing so again next year?

Bottom line Stiesma is not very good and half the guys on our roster haven't done lick squat to prove they can be relied on.  Merely having bodies doesn't equate to "depth".

[ScottHow]

A deep bench is a great problem to have.

[Brendan]

I'm guessing minutes look something like:

Starters:

PG Rajon Rondo 36 MPG
SG Ray Allen 28 MPG
SF Paul Pierce 32 MPG
PF Brandon Bass 28 MPG
C Kevin Garnett 28 MPG

Bench:

Terry 18 MPG PG/SG
AB 18 MPG SG
Green 24 MPG SF/PF

Leaving 28 MPG for the remaining bigs - with Sullinger, Steisma (if signed), Wilcox (if signed), and maybe Melo battling for them. It also means we'll likely see ~10-12 minutes per game of three guard and/or no center lineups.