So... what do we do for a center?

[kozlodoev]

I would go with three PGs, five wings, three PFs and four Cs.

---------------------------------------------

PG: Rajon Rondo, Jason Terry, (Keyon Dooling)
SG: Avery Bradley, (Courtney Lee?), (minimum contract wing)
SF: Paul Pierce, Jeff Green
PF: Brandon Bass, Jared Sullinger, JaJuan Johnson
C:  Kevin Garnett, (Greg Stiemsma or maybe Ryan Hollins), (Magloire type), Fab Melo


--------------------------------------

If Wilcox considered coming back for the minimum, I may drop one of those perimeter players to fit him in at power forward.

Both Avery Bradley and Jason Terry are combo guards. They can give Boston two PGs behind Rondo as well as depth at the SG position. Have to loose Dooling though. Say those three guys at guard, then Pierce + Green at SF + another two guard + another wing. Seven perimeter guys instead of eight to free up the additional roster spot for Wilcox.

This may be ok. Joseph looks like he's going to make himself hard to cut, and I'm fine with him being the third SF. However, I'd much rather sign someone like Pietrus for insurance at the SG position than carry a 4th center, given that we have various solutions in the big man department, but may be 1 injury away from playing with 3 rotation-caliber guards.

Assuming we can get Lee or Mayo, I'd like to make certain we have another PG instead of SG.  Terry can play on or off the ball, but if Rondo goes down, we can't play JET for 48 minutes.  I suppose AB can sort of, but he's already hurt and will have no training camp, so I'd like someone else who can run an offense, at least in a pinch.  (Of course, my best candidate for that job is Delonte.  Sigh.)

I see people mentioning Dooling, but I think the only way we get Lee or Mayo is by S&T Dooling, in order to make the salaries work, so I fear he's not a likely option.

We can S&T Daniels or Pavlovic instead, no? It's not like Dooling offers tremendous value anyhow. Not sure we have Bird rights there, though.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

and yes i hate green and bass....

[Change]

last year we had Stiemsma & Hollins sharing minutes at center. One of them is likely back. And It can't be that hard to fill in for the other guys.

[pearljammer10]

The options are running low and time is getting short for free agents. So unless hes got something up his sleeve....which i cant see happening, or works on some sort of trade we might be seeing a lot of Fab playing back up this season. Which Im personally ok with even if it isnt our best option for contention.

[LEHGOCELTICS]

IAN MAHINMI!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBrrT7iM1eU

and yes, I'm very serious

[bfrombleacher]

If we were (at least some of you were) okay with JO, why not Fab Melo?

JO had the body of an ancient corpse. He was so slow even if he'd known the rotations he'd be completely beat to the spot.

[kozlodoev]

If we were (at least some of you were) okay with JO, why not Fab Melo?

JO had the body of an ancient corpse. He was so slow even if he'd known the rotations he'd be completely beat to the spot.

Mostly because the highlighted part of your comment isn't true. O'Neal knew the rotations fairly well, and was typically able to get to where he needed to be in time.

[bfrombleacher]

If we were (at least some of you were) okay with JO, why not Fab Melo?

JO had the body of an ancient corpse. He was so slow even if he'd known the rotations he'd be completely beat to the spot.

Mostly because the highlighted part of your comment isn't true. O'Neal knew the rotations fairly well, and was typically able to get to where he needed to be in time.

Oh wow...my bad then...but I've seen him having to resort to drawing charges last year...the ordeal was just ugly...

[StartOrien]

PA-NIC!

[Fafnir]

If we were (at least some of you were) okay with JO, why not Fab Melo?

JO had the body of an ancient corpse. He was so slow even if he'd known the rotations he'd be completely beat to the spot.

Mostly because the highlighted part of your comment isn't true. O'Neal knew the rotations fairly well, and was typically able to get to where he needed to be in time.

Yeah Jermaine's problem was the overall lack of quickness on the team, meh rebounding, and nothing on offense at all.

[Change]

IAN MAHINMI!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBrrT7iM1eU

and yes, I'm very serious

dat video

[kozlodoev]

If we were (at least some of you were) okay with JO, why not Fab Melo?

JO had the body of an ancient corpse. He was so slow even if he'd known the rotations he'd be completely beat to the spot.

Mostly because the highlighted part of your comment isn't true. O'Neal knew the rotations fairly well, and was typically able to get to where he needed to be in time.

Oh wow...my bad then...but I've seen him having to resort to drawing charges last year...the ordeal was just ugly...

Um, in order to "resort" to drawing charges you have to, as per the rulebook, beat your opponent to the spot. Drawing charges is not some sort of a ho-hum tactic to avoid playing defense, it's a skill that precious few big men possess.

But if that doesn't convince you -- before he went out of  commission, O'Neal was also one of the best shot blockers we had on the roster.

[Celtics18]

This is like deja vu all over again.

[mctyson]

Stiemsma: Likely leaving Boston
Krstic: International
Camby: NYK

Can we sign Wilcox? Do we trust Melo? Is there somebody else?

I was really counting on Camby or Krstic...

We can match Stiemer.  I believe Danny will do this because he still has the Q.O. out there. If he thought Stiemer would get too much $$ from Minny he would pull it and let Stiemer be a UFA.

We will sign Wilcox to a vet min.

Looks like Sullinger can and will be playing the 5 for us next  year.

Looks like Melo will be our Ryan Hollins next season.

[CFAN38]

I have a few thoughts on the Center position

1. If Steimsma leaves for Minn would they make it a S&T for Darko? Doesn't sound great but he is big, mobile, and blocks shots.

2. Melo will not see real minutes this year and maybe not much next year. He is a long term project.

3. Sullinger will see minutes at Center this year.