Is AB's starting job in jeopardy?

[Sketch5]

If AB is out till Dec, he's going to a bit behind, and will probably take an other month to get back to were he was before.

I think its going to come down to who complements each other on the floor.

AB better defender. Lee better shooter.

Rondo poorer shooter, so you complement him with Lee.

Terry a great shooter, you complement him with Bradley, who will handle the rock more and get people in their places. I think a Terry/AB bench is a heck of a spark that any team needs.

Usally you have your "everything" guys start, and your "specialty" guys come off the bench. Terry is scoring, and AB is the D. AB isn't quite there in having an all around game, he's close, but Lee is there right now.

[fairweatherfan06]

If AB is out till Dec, he's going to a bit behind, and will probably take an other month to get back to were he was before.

I think its going to come down to who complements each other on the floor.

AB better defender. Lee better shooter.

Rondo poorer shooter, so you complement him with Lee.


Terry a great shooter, you complement him with Bradley, who will handle the rock more and get people in their places. I think a Terry/AB bench is a heck of a spark that any team needs.

Usally you have your "everything" guys start, and your "specialty" guys come off the bench. Terry is scoring, and AB is the D. AB isn't quite there in having an all around game, he's close, but Lee is there right now.

This makes sense.  I also think Doc and Danny envision Bradley as Tony Allen with more offensive upside and less boneheadedness. And they will utilize him as such and I think him and Terry would be a fairly lethal combination.

[wdleehi]

It all depends on how the team and Lee (if it happens) are playing. 

[celticinorlando]

i think Doc and Danny want AB to be pushed and not be comfortable..plus we don't know how long he is out for

[TripleOT]

Lee's career shooting accuracy is just a notch below Ray Allen's.  it would figure that the Cs would want his shooting in the starting lineup.  Bradley is considered a top 5 defender at the SG spot, but CL is no slouch defensively. 

This is a nice problem to have for Doc Rivers.  I have a feeling that Lee will get a lot of time with Rondo, and AB with JET, with Bradley running the offense a lot.

It's unfortunate that AB is probably going to miss another training camp.   

[Interceptor]

It's unfortunate that AB is probably going to miss another training camp.   

It's like the story of that kid's life, missing offseason practice and training camps. What happens in 2013 to cause him to miss that one? Asteroid?

[Brendan]

Yes.

Not just because of Lee, but that's one reason:

1. Was he the real deal or a flash in the pan?
2. When will he be back?
3. Will he be healthy enough to get back at the same level?
4. Will there be enough opportunity for him to work back in to the rotation?
5. Will chemistry between the other guys be really good and something Doc doesn't want to mess with?

etc.

Bottom line is I think2012 for AB could be like 2008 for TA where things just don't lineup.

[Evantime34]

I think he will start when he comes back unless Courtney Lee has excellent chemistry with Rondo.

[RJ87]

Yes.

Not just because of Lee, but that's one reason:

1. Was he the real deal or a flash in the pan?
2. When will he be back?
3. Will he be healthy enough to get back at the same level?
4. Will there be enough opportunity for him to work back in to the rotation?
5. Will chemistry between the other guys be really good and something Doc doesn't want to mess with?

etc.

Bottom line is I think2012 for AB could be like 2008 for TA where things just don't lineup.

I agree - I think urgency to get another guard is just as much about AB's health as it is that we don't quite know what we have yet in AB.

[tonyto3690]

i would say that paul pierce is more in trouble than anyone. courtney lee can play small forward too - and you have jeff green and kris joseph there too... i think dannys final move this off season may be trading paul piece for a true center.

Man this is getting sad. People in here need to step up there knowledge of the game.

Courtney Lee at small forward?

Paul Pierce would probably slap you silly as would Doc for that statement.

He is wrong, not because of positional problems.  Pierce is pretty much untradable at this point and would never get as much value in return as he would give us.  Also the PR would be horrible for the team and just in plain revenue, wouldnt make sense as he more than pays for himself with advertisement and jersey sales.  I know we almost traded him last season, but that was for an expiring contract and a lotto pick when Ainge (and we all) thought we were dead in the water.  We are obviously going all in for the next couple years, so it makes no sense to get rid of him when he will be an expiring contract off the books with quality 3 play who can stay with Lebron and Melo.

[Celtics4ever]

I think it gives a decided versatility.  We need D plug in Avery.  We need O plug in Lee.   I think it helps us to spread the floor but Lee can also run and slash.

[MJohnnyboy]

No. It may take time even when he gets back but Avery Bradley is one of the elite perimeter defenders in the game. Courtney Lee is a very good perimeter defender but Avery is one of the best. Not to mention Avery played at his best when he played with Rondo. Lee has shown in the past that he can play in a bench role, while Bradley has shown that you get the best out of him when he's with the starters.

We still don't even know what Absolute Zeros ceiling is. His offensive game was coming into its own last year until his shoulders started to kill him. He could be the second coming of Joe Dumars. I'm not hating on Lee. In fact, I'm excited as hell Lee is coming here, but Bradley is our starting shooting guard. The Lee signing makes life without Bradley all the easier, and in fact I think this is the Celtics telling Avery to take his time with the surgeries, but if you had me choose one player to stop the more athletic and quick guards in the league (Wade/Westbrook/Rose), I'm choosing Bradley.

[Tr1boy]

Lee is better, but i think Bradley will start anyway

how is this even true?

While lee is more accomplished in the offensive department for now, Bradley is much better on defender already.

Bradley actually is top 3 guard defender in the league.

 

[Vermont Green]

I take issue with how the question is worded.  Bradley is not the incumbent starter.  He only started when filling in for an injured player, either Rondo or that other guy.

Now as to the real question of who will start at SG in place of the departed one whose name shall not be spoken, it seems likely that Lee will start to start the season with Bradley rehabbing.  It seems it will be Lee's job to lose.

[Prof. Clutch]

I think AB will have to prove he's physically well enough to warrant the starting role when he gets back.  It's gonna take him some time to get his game legs back and perhaps the confidence in his shot depending on how rusty his shoulders feel. 

Remember, he struggled mightily with his shot at the beginning of the last season and it was apparently entirely mental.  Doc said he made every shot in practice and he couldn't explain why he struggled in the actual games.  Hopefully he doesn't have similar struggles in finding confidence in his shot/game when he comes back from this double shoulder surgery.  We shall see.