If Ainge had taken Stephenson instead of Bradley in 2010...

[manl_lui]

WE would be banging our heads to the wall collectively everytime he does boneheaded move or play.

boom, exactly what I wanted to say and may I add...

with his immaturity, he probably will collide with teammates exactly the way he did in Indiana, which may or may not upset the likes of KG/PP/Rondo

we were still competing in 2010, so therefore, his immaturity will be his one way ticket out of Boston

[Beat LA]

As for Steimsma (why does everyone call him steamer, btw?), I don't think he was hurt, so you're probably confusing him with Krstic, who, I always thought, didn't play a lot because of his severe defensive deficiencies.

Pretty sure Steimsma had plantar fasciitis that postseason.

Injuries made a waste of what was almost certainly KGs last real playoff performance. Pierce's sprained knee, Ray's spurs and Bradley constantly dislocating his shoulders.

Edit: in terms of OP, Stephenson's a great player, but Bradley had a season in 2012. We can't know if Stephenson would have stayed healthy for the playoffs, but he definitely wouldn't have spread the floor like Bradley did that year.

Yeah, that sounds right about Steimsma and his foot problems that year.  I don't honestly don't think that Lance would have been injured, given that he's never missed any time because of physical ailments over his career to date, nor is he inherently injury prone.  Bradley is the better three point shooter, but it's not like Stephenson can't shoot - he's an excellent midrange shooter with definite three point range, and he's improved his percentage every year.  In fact, his playoff ts% is better thab Bradley's.  Now, people will say, "yeah, but Bradley moves so much better without the ball," but that simply isn't true.  Avery might have made more baseline cuts that year, but Stephenson does as well - I've seen him do it many times off of passes from West or on out-of-bounds plays, and I'm sure that he only would have gotten better at that while playing here, imo.  He can also post up, create his own shot (which you need to be able to do when the shot clock is winding down against a team like Miami), pass, and his size and strength allows him to play and guard positions 1-3.  Talk about versatility.  Seeing him play against the Heat in the last two postseasons only validated what I believed about him, and I almost forgot about his rebounding.  That would have been huge on both ends for a team that always sucked in that regard, lol.  A backcourt of Rondo and Stephenson would have been the best rebounding guard combination in the game, easily.

[Beat LA]

Steimsma (why does everyone call him steamer, btw?)

If I'm not mistaken, it's the same reason I always say "Hurricane" Harangody: Tommy Heinsohn

I must have missed when Tommy uttered such phrases, because I don't remember him once saying Hurricane Harangody or Steamer.

[pearljammer10]

WE would be banging our heads to the wall collectively everytime he does boneheaded move or play.

The question was what if we had Stephenson not what we do every time we watch Bradley play.

[pearljammer10]

As for Steimsma (why does everyone call him steamer, btw?),

Nickname, easier to spell.  I would guess.

How could you NOT call him Steemah.

[Beat LA]

He would have been called Tony Allen 2.o for all the boneheadedness, and potential.

TA was looking like a 2-way beast before the injury.

I disagree.  Yeah, Tony was developing into an excellent slasher before his idiotic after-the-whistle dunk that forever changed his career, but he was never the passer, playmaker, ball handler, or, especially, the shooter that Stephenson is, and was coming out of college.  Lance can play out of control at times, but I don't think he's a bonehead (on the court), and at least he can dribble lol.  Furthermore, Stephenson is bigger, stronger, quicker, and he can also post up.  The only thing TA had on Lance was his leaping ability.  They're not even remotely close to being the same type of player.

Tony was our backup point guard for a while. He wasn't as bad at ballhandling as you think. TA  was also a superior defender.

Ugh, don't remind me   Tony is the superior athlete to Stephenson, but that's it.  I saw every game of Tony the Turnover's career while he was here, and he was just turrible offensively.  His ballhandling was suspect, at best, he had no post game, couldn't really pass, and the mechanics, if he had any , on his hump shot were such that I thought that he was going to break his risk every time he took one - the motion is that violent.  I don't miss him at all.

[D.o.s.]

TA also plays much better defense than Stephenson does.

[BballTim]

As for Steimsma (why does everyone call him steamer, btw?), I don't think he was hurt, so you're probably confusing him with Krstic, who, I always thought, didn't play a lot because of his severe defensive deficiencies.

Pretty sure Steimsma had plantar fasciitis that postseason.

Injuries made a waste of what was almost certainly KGs last real playoff performance. Pierce's sprained knee, Ray's spurs and Bradley constantly dislocating his shoulders.

Edit: in terms of OP, Stephenson's a great player, but Bradley had a season in 2012. We can't know if Stephenson would have stayed healthy for the playoffs, but he definitely wouldn't have spread the floor like Bradley did that year.

Yeah, that sounds right about Steimsma and his foot problems that year.  I don't honestly don't think that Lance would have been injured, given that he's never missed any time because of physical ailments over his career to date, nor is he inherently injury prone.  Bradley is the better three point shooter, but it's not like Stephenson can't shoot - he's an excellent midrange shooter with definite three point range, and he's improved his percentage every year.  In fact, his playoff ts% is better thab Bradley's.

  It should be, AB played the bulk of his playoff games with shoulders that were popping out of socket twice a week.

[mgent]

He would have been called Tony Allen 2.o for all the boneheadedness, and potential.

TA was looking like a 2-way beast before the injury.

I disagree.  Yeah, Tony was developing into an excellent slasher before his idiotic after-the-whistle dunk that forever changed his career, but he was never the passer, playmaker, ball handler, or, especially, the shooter that Stephenson is, and was coming out of college.  Lance can play out of control at times, but I don't think he's a bonehead (on the court), and at least he can dribble lol.  Furthermore, Stephenson is bigger, stronger, quicker, and he can also post up.  The only thing TA had on Lance was his leaping ability.  They're not even remotely close to being the same type of player.

I don't think you can say Lance has a size-able advantage in those areas, especially strength.  And what is he, half an inch bigger?

Tony had a tendency to get out of control on drives, but he wasn't exactly a bonehead like say JaVale McGee, he understands the game.  He's also very in control and great at ball-handling in transition, when he is more free and can play purely off instinct.

[Beat LA]

He would have been called Tony Allen 2.o for all the boneheadedness, and potential.

TA was looking like a 2-way beast before the injury.

I disagree.  Yeah, Tony was developing into an excellent slasher before his idiotic after-the-whistle dunk that forever changed his career, but he was never the passer, playmaker, ball handler, or, especially, the shooter that Stephenson is, and was coming out of college.  Lance can play out of control at times, but I don't think he's a bonehead (on the court), and at least he can dribble lol.  Furthermore, Stephenson is bigger, stronger, quicker, and he can also post up.  The only thing TA had on Lance was his leaping ability.  They're not even remotely close to being the same type of player.

I don't think you can say Lance has a size-able advantage in those areas, especially strength.  And what is he, half an inch bigger?

Tony had a tendency to get out of control on drives, but he wasn't exactly a bonehead like say JaVale McGee, he understands the game.  He's also very in control and great at ball-handling in transition, when he is more free and can play purely off instinct.

With all due respect, we are talking about the same Tony Allen, right?

[Beat LA]

TA also plays much better defense than Stephenson does.

Disagree.  I think it's pretty close between them, quite honestly.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

What if Jeff Green's heart was OK that year? What if Jermaine O'Neal was healthy? So many what ifs to that playoff run. So many...

[Beat LA]

What if Jeff Green's heart was OK that year? What if Jermaine O'Neal was healthy? So many what ifs to that playoff run. So many...

I forget, did we get an injury-exception (or whatever the exact term is) that year like the Pacers got for Paul George? 

[D.o.s.]

For Green? We got a second rounder from the Thunder.

[D.o.s.]

TA also plays much better defense than Stephenson does.

Disagree.  I think it's pretty close between them, quite honestly.

Are you talking about Allen during his first four seasons in the league (i.e. equivalent amount of time in the league as Stephenson), or throughout their careers in totality?

Because if it's the former, I'd agree. If it's the latter, it's not even close. Stephenson wasn't even a better defender than Allen last season, and there's a nine-year athleticism gap between the two players.

Enthusiastic defense, which is how I'd describe Stephenson's D, as his mind wanders a lot when he's not on-ball, is not the same as good defense, which is not nearly laudatory enough to describe how Tony Allen plays defense. I don't trust Lance to stay with Kevin Durant through a pick and roll screen, but Tony Allen's made a career of it.