Celtic's lack of a true center

[Future Celtics Owner]

Does anyone else have a desire to get Rudy Gobert?

Not me, his stat lines are horrible.  I get he is young and the like.   But one can tell he does not know basketball yet at all.   A Euro who shoots  .49% from the FT line?

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3032976/rudy-gobert


He looks like a player but a classic case of his best assets were he was tall and unknown.  That being said he might be a decent rebounder some day.

Only reason Pacers keep Hibbert , is he is  impossible to replace .  His play cost them a chance at a title.

This is a myth.  The Pacers could not score and it was guys not named Hibbert who also failed in this regard.  Hibbert played like dog doo-doo.  But they also have serious scoring issues.  Their superstar George played like a monster in several of the games but also had a 14 point stinker in one game.  Stephenson was all over the place too.   Hibbert played poorly but other guys need to take a long hard look in the mirror.

His stat lines are horrible?

What were you looking at, because I checked out the link you posted just to check out if i had the wrong stats, but they were the same.He played 9.6 minutes a game for 45 games. In just those 9 minutes he got 3.4 rebounds and .9 blocks. Whats wrong with those stats? Also his ft was 49% but the sample size is too small. When he was taking almost 6 ft's a game in the dleague he averaged 70% from the line.

His production is actually extremely great for just 9.6 mins.

His per 40:9.6/14.3/3.8 blocks

So going by his horrible stats if he played 35min a game he would lead the league in rebounds and blocked shots.

[chambers]

we're lacking at just about every position but PG. not just C.

i'm glad we aren't making the mistake a lot of other teams make when it comes to the C position though. obviously we need a C, but it's nice to see we're not panicking and overpaying for a bad one or drafting 8 centers regardless of weather they're good or not and thinking "we're ok at that position".

I agree, its nice to know we are on the hunt for a QUALITY center.

What makes you think we are on the hunt for a quality centre?
I'd rather develop a youngin' or roll the dice on a project who will get better over the course of the season without getting us needless wins.

Would love to start Zeller and get our hands on Capella from Houston.
Two projects with a high reward, low risk trade off while we are going to stink again anyway.

[Future Celtics Owner]

we're lacking at just about every position but PG. not just C.

i'm glad we aren't making the mistake a lot of other teams make when it comes to the C position though. obviously we need a C, but it's nice to see we're not panicking and overpaying for a bad one or drafting 8 centers regardless of weather they're good or not and thinking "we're ok at that position".

I agree, its nice to know we are on the hunt for a QUALITY center.

What makes you think we are on the hunt for a quality centre?
I'd rather develop a youngin' or roll the dice on a project who will get better over the course of the season without getting us needless wins.

Would love to start Zeller and get our hands on Capella from Houston.
Two projects with a high reward, low risk trade off while we are going to stink again anyway.

I guess it all depends on your definition of a quality center. I think you have misunderstood when I said quality center for veteran center. I never said anything about getting a center in order to make the playoffs or win useless games, contrary all my posts in this thread are about projects and buying low ala Rudy Gobert.

I totally believe the Celtics are on the hunt for a quality center. My gut is he would be a project/ draft pick

[Fred Roberts]

Between Zeller, Anthony, Fav and potentially Colton . .. it's hard to say the Celtics don't have a "true center". All 4 of these guys play the 5, and nothing else.

Maybe none are All-Star caliber centers, but they are centers. They aren't undersized PFs trying to play center (a la Bass, Sully, Hump and KO).

I think just the fact that we have some 5's this season will help. Once Fav went down last year, we really did not have a true center.

[LooseCannon]

How do the Celtics end up if one of Zeller/Fav gives the same level of production as Spencer Hawes?

[sofutomygaha]

Between Zeller, Anthony, Fav and potentially Colton . .. it's hard to say the Celtics don't have a "true center". All 4 of these guys play the 5, and nothing else.

Hehe. I think implicit in "true" center is "competent" center. Colton Iverson does not qualify.

[PaulAllen]

90% of NBA teams lack a true center

[hagar55voa]

You Boston fans are going to be surprised just how good Zeller will be...He was getting better and better in Cleveland, but Brown wouldn't play him much...I think he will shine in Celtic green with more playing time...

[Waew]

I dont get the obsession with true centers by some on here. Those slow lumbering low post centers are usually overpaid, and are usually not found on contending teams.

most contenders and teams have athletic centers that are *gasp* shorter than 7 feet.  The average starting power forward  is probably 6'9 now. The long stringy 6'11 PF is no longer common, those guys are the new modern center.

the sooner you adapt to the new NBA, the sooner you'll stop being frustrated by our lack of a "true" center.

[footey]

I wrote this post days ago before the Zeller trade and sort of forgot about it. I'm happy we got Zeller and more than happy we got a huge expiring and a 1st rounder. Over the years I've been one of the countless CBers raving about our lack of center, basically since we traded Perk. This will be the first season I don't post things like that and here is why:

2015 Free Agent Centers
_______________________

Omer Asik (29)
Tyson Chandler (33)
Marc Gasol (30)
Roy Hibbert (29) – (Player Option)
Al Jefferson (30) – (Player Option)
DeAndre Jordan (27)
Brook Lopez (27) – (Player Option)

2015 Draft Class Centers
______________________________
Jahlil Okafor
Karl Towns
Marcus Lee
Willie Cauley-Stein
Kristaps Porzingis
Dakari Johnson
Frank "The Tank" Kaminsky

And I didn't even include the RFAs like Nikola Vucevic and Enes Kanter. That might be two metric tons of centers available next season. Now I don't think Hibbert or Jefferson leave their teams but still that is more options at center than your average off season.

I said this a year ago around this time, we have another season of bad coming our way. We will probably trade away some vets and hopefully make a play for a big name FA in 2015. With Rondo here and a barrel full of assets I assume we can get something done. Still I think our center of the future is another season away.

There is hope.

Thank you.

TP.

[D.o.s.]

I dont get the obsession with true centers by some on here. Those slow lumbering low post centers are usually overpaid, and are usually not found on contending teams.

most contenders and teams have athletic centers that are *gasp* shorter than 7 feet.  The average starting power forward  is probably 6'9 now. The long stringy 6'11 PF is no longer common, those guys are the new modern center.

the sooner you adapt to the new NBA, the sooner you'll stop being frustrated by our lack of a "true" center.

There is a train of thought that a true center has more value now, since there's so few of them nowadays.

[Phantom255x]

Robin Lopez is another big name FA center next year.

I hope next year we pounce in FA, get a scorer and center. For center I hope we get one of DeAndre Jordan/Marc Gasol/Robin Lopez and maybe go for LaMarcus Aldrige for a scorer? We have the cap space next year (at least as of now, we should)

[footey]

Look, every team would love a "true" center. By that, I mean a very athletic, physical guy who can score in low, rebound, play great defense on other bigs, block shots.  They are very rare.  That is why Embiid was so desirable.

[nickagneta]

They also lack a true superstar, a true #1 scoring option, outside shooting, team balance, experience and chemistry

[DesertDweller]

Everyone seems to be still hunting for the Celtic's center of the future. HELLO!!! he's already arrived. his name is Tyler Zeller and he's about to make your list of 7 footers look like dog poo.
this kid just needed to be on the right team. I say he thrives on the Celtics and with the passing of Rondo and the muscle of Sullinger, he will do just that. by the time the season starts, Zeller is our starting Center.