Legit Centers

[truthteller]

I'm talking about vets.  No Rookies here.  We need a presence in the middle to complement Rondo and Wiggins/Parker

Here is my ranking of potential free agents or trade partners.  What is your ranking?  Who am I missing?  Who isn't involved in this discussion?

1. Anthony Davis (fantasy)
2. Marc Gasol
3. Kevin Love
4. Al Horford
5. Al Jefferson
6. Tyson Chanler
7. Roy Hibbert
8. Chris Bosh
9. Omer Asik
10. Martin Gortat

[Rondo9]

How do you know that the Celtics will get Wiggins or Parker?

[fitzhickey]

Love and Bosh aren't really centres. Davis is super fantasy, Drummond is up there but unrealistic.

Horford and Jefferson are my two tops after that.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

I want to put Andrew Bogut here but I doubt the Dubs will give him away unless they get a replacement Center who can defend as close as he does.

With that said, I will drive the badwagon and make a stop here.

Jason Smith.

Albeit his season got cut short by injuries, in 27 minutes, he averaged a solid 6 rebounds, 1 block and 10 points.

He's not the sexiest of names, but like Robin Lopez (impact wise), he's solid defensively, has size and fairly athletic to catch up the quicker Centers. Challenges shots and not scared of contact. He could come in for maybe the MLE too. Relatively young (27). And, you can slot him as a tall, big PF (for what it's worth).

And as for fit, he's a guy who shoots a great 47% from 16-23 feet (per basketball-reference.com), and that's out of 173 shots in 31 games, there's a big sample size there.  He has a deadly mid range game (as posted by a poster before, forgot your name, but all credit on that quote goes to you), making him deadly with Rondo as a pick and pop option, or just opening up more space for Sullinger to work down low.

Again, he may not average a double double (or maybe he will) but he's solid pickup option for us. He'll be an excellent 3rd big off the bench, or a decent (at worst) to a good (at best) Center.

[Ogaju]

what about Emeka Okafor?

[loco_91]

If you think we're getting a high enough pick to draft Wiggins or Parker, well, why not

1. Embiid.

[oldtype]

Plan A: draft Embiid

Plan B: trade for Asik without giving up a 1st round pick

Plan C: sign Okafor on reasonable money

[PhoSita]

Horford and Gasol I think are the most realistic among the dreamboat options.  Very unlikely, but not entirely implausible.

Aside from them, it's kinda slim pickings.

Asik, Sanders . . . maybe Varejao or Okafor.

[More Banners]

Horford has been out of position for years, which doesn't make him what I'd be looking for in a 5.

I'm a HUGE Gortat fan since Orlando, but doubt he's leaving the Wiz.  They look solid.

[crimson_stallion]

How is Kevin Love a center, or anything even resembling a center?  Even Sully is closer to a center than Love...at least he has some form of a post game.

Plan A: draft Embiid

Plan B: trade for Asik without giving up a 1st round pick

Plan C: sign Okafor on reasonable money

Can we flip B and C around?  Okafor is better than Asik and probably available for less money.

Actually can we just get rid of B entirely?

[greg683x]

Horford has been out of position for years, which doesn't make him what I'd be looking for in a 5.

I'm a HUGE Gortat fan since Orlando, but doubt he's leaving the Wiz.  They look solid.

Gortat and Ariza are both free agents for the wiz this offseason, theyre most likely only gonna have enough cash to resign one of them.  If it were me Id choose Gortat, but it's no guarantee by far.  He could be available.

[fitzhickey]

I want to put Andrew Bogut here but I doubt the Dubs will give him away unless they get a replacement Center who can defend as close as he does.

With that said, I will drive the badwagon and make a stop here.

Jason Smith.

Albeit his season got cut short by injuries, in 27 minutes, he averaged a solid 6 rebounds, 1 block and 10 points.

He's not the sexiest of names, but like Robin Lopez (impact wise), he's solid defensively, has size and fairly athletic to catch up the quicker Centers. Challenges shots and not scared of contact. He could come in for maybe the MLE too. Relatively young (27). And, you can slot him as a tall, big PF (for what it's worth).

And as for fit, he's a guy who shoots a great 47% from 16-23 feet (per basketball-reference.com), and that's out of 173 shots in 31 games, there's a big sample size there.  He has a deadly mid range game (as posted by a poster before, forgot your name, but all credit on that quote goes to you), making him deadly with Rondo as a pick and pop option, or just opening up more space for Sullinger to work down low.

Again, he may not average a double double (or maybe he will) but he's solid pickup option for us. He'll be an excellent 3rd big off the bench, or a decent (at worst) to a good (at best) Center.

Hadn't thought of Smith at all. Him stretching the D while Sully goes to work down low could be a very interesting combo with Rondo running the point, Exum (fingers crossed) cutting and Green in the corner. That sounds like a fun team to me, although needs a real star player to contend.

[cltc5]

call me when the draft starts

[michael 26]

Greg Monroe should way up there he is very young and a good scorer, also he plays pretty good defense. Detroit won't be reluctant to let him go since their frontcourt is really crammed.

[SHAQATTACK]

At some point luck will kick in.....we get a break though a trade with a player who is unhappy like Love or Cousins,  Rondo is traded,  or the lottery has mercy on the Celtics.

If luck fails , then you try and increase your luck , like Philly .  Tank it to the limit,  as many years needed to restock the team with centers.

NBA gas forced this method upon teams , even the richest need the draft to rebuild .  Once Ducan and Durrant are gone their teams will drop like rocks.

I think what Phily did was what most teams will have to do eventually.   

NBA is so much about luck

I think unless a legit center arrives in Boston by summers end .....we are headed for another one or two years tanking min.

Stevens May gave to go if that's  the plan.