At SG:
Hayward is way overrated around here, and Utah will most likely pay him more than he is worth to retain him. Stephenson is a solid player, but he has a bad attitude, and I think he will also get a way bigger contract than he is worth this offseason.
I would love for Ainge to weasel his way into a Klay Thompson trade, but I don't see the Warriors letting him go any time soon....not for any less than a king's ransom anyways.
Considering the rather bare Free Agent crop at the SG position this yr, I'd prefer to just re-sign Bradley somewhere between 6 & 8 mill per yr. I would much rather have Bradley than Hayward, and he will probably come cheaper than Hayward too.
If you you think Hayward overrated, then how paying AB between $6m and $8m a year not a drastic overpayment? Hayward is the better overall player, IMO - yes, his shooting percentages took a dive this season as he was forced to be the #1 option. Even so, he's the superior ballhandler/facilator, a better rebounder, and a more natural scorer. Bradley's one advantage is defense, but AB's defense took a step back this year. I think his reputation as an elite defender kept him from getting criticism in that area. And then there's the issue of durability.
At Center: Of the 3 centers you mentioned, I would most like to pursue Sanders. Asik is not worth giving up the assets Morey will most likely ask for in return...especially when he is due that absurd $15mill contact this yr, and then can leave in Free Agency to the highest bidder next offseason.
Keep in mind that although Asik is slated to be paid $15m next season, his cap hit is actually $8.2m. With some finagling to get away from the hard cap, we can possible use the trade exception from the Paul Pierce/KG trade to add him depending on what type of pick we give up.
6 to 8 mill per yr for Bradley is not a drastic overpayment because he is a better all-around player than Hayward. (And he will still probably get paid less than Hayward, which I find comical). But 6 to 8 mill per yr is what Bradley will make, whether it be from the Celtics or from another team...and he is worth every penny.
The "drastic overpayment", as you referred to it, is gonna be when some team foolishly offers Hayward 9-10mill per yr...and Utah or whomever else can keep him for that, as far as I'm concerned.
Hayward is far from being the superior player in comparison to Bradley. Hayward is a better facilitator--that's about it. He is not a very efficient passer though...he turns the ball over quite a bit.
And Hayward only has a *slight* edge over Bradley in the rebounding department...their rebounding numbers per36 are pretty similar.
You can call Hayward "a more natural scorer" all you want to, but I'm not sure how that justifies your argument. Bradley is still the better shooter regardless. Bradley is an excellent mid-range shooter, and he is better from 3p range too. (With the exception of last yr when he came back from double-shoulder surgery).
But I'll go by the numbers and take the more efficient SG any day, over someone's personal opinion that Hayward is "a more natural scorer" than Bradley. Not to mention Bradley actually plays on both sides of the ball, unlike Hayward who isn't much of a defender.
You can blame Hayward's decreased efficiency this yr on him becoming the #1 option, but the fact of the matter is, his overall FG% has gone down every season since his rookie yr. And people tend to forget, that Bradley was often the #1 option on offense for the Celts this yr as well, but he still managed to post his best offensive numbers yet.
And yes, I am well aware of the fact that Asik's cap hit is $8.3 mill this yr, just like Lin's contract is. But that doesn't mean the Celtics owners are going to want to shell out the ridiculous $15mill to pay him for 1yr.
I would rather take a flyer on Sanders. He will be well worth his contract if he can return to the form he was in last yr.
Topic: Which young SG and which young Center should we pursue this off season? (Read 8728 times)