Kelly O will never be a Center

[Rosco917]

Let me first say, I like K.O, he's a good kid, a hard worker, and is a useful piece. However, I like him off the bench for his scoring and passing ability against the second team.

But using him as a starting center is a disaster. He is a poor defender in general at this point in his career. Seeing him being abused at the center position is painful. Opposing teams go right at him, he has lead feet, can't jump, and poor reaction. His stats are deceiving, he's a good position rebounder, so he gathers a few rebounds, and decent shooter, so he scores. But he gives up a ton of points at the center position.   

Now that said, Zeller is not Bill Russell either, but I feel he is the better choice until we can get a center the other team will respect in the middle.

[wdleehi]

Agreed he is not a center, but is clearly among the best two big man on the team.  He needs the minutes.  He needs to grow.  He is going to have to play minutes at that position either way. 

[D.o.s.]

The real question is why didn't Kelly O go as Candy O for halloween?

[hwangjini_1]

Let me first say, I like K.O, he's a good kid, a hard worker, and is a useful piece. However, I like him off the bench for his scoring and passing ability against the second team.

But using him as a starting center is a disaster. He is a poor defender in general at this point in his career. Seeing him being abused at the center position is painful. Opposing teams go right at him, he has lead feet, can't jump, and poor reaction. His stats are deceiving, he's a good position rebounder, so he gathers a few rebounds, and decent shooter, so he scores. But he gives up a ton of points at the center position.   

Now that said, Zeller is not Bill Russell either, but I feel he is the better choice until we can get a center the other team will respect in the middle.

oh, he can be a center, just not a good one. he will probably be better than at least a few of the other folks teams trot out as center.

[slamtheking]

Agreed he is not a center, but is clearly among the best two big man on the team.  He needs the minutes.  He needs to grow.  He is going to have to play minutes at that position either way. 

this.

in an ideal world, KO would only get minutes at PF and maybe some spot minutes at C against a small line-up but we're far from an ideal situation with our Center position

[Donoghus]

Agreed on KO not being a center.

The C position is a disaster right now hence the need to run him out there.  Ideally, KO is the first big coming off the bench.  Unfortunately, since it appears this team doesn't have much in regards to a serviceable center, you're gonna plug KO in there as a starter.

[knuckleballer]

Let me first say, I like K.O, he's a good kid, a hard worker, and is a useful piece. However, I like him off the bench for his scoring and passing ability against the second team.

But using him as a starting center is a disaster. He is a poor defender in general at this point in his career. Seeing him being abused at the center position is painful. Opposing teams go right at him, he has lead feet, can't jump, and poor reaction. His stats are deceiving, he's a good position rebounder, so he gathers a few rebounds, and decent shooter, so he scores. But he gives up a ton of points at the center position.   

Now that said, Zeller is not Bill Russell either, but I feel he is the better choice until we can get a center the other team will respect in the middle.

 I agree, but what is the goal of the team right now?  I suspect they are placing player development over winning.

[Rosco917]

I agree, but you can see him confused and loosing confidence too, while manning the starting center position. He must see the opposing team going after him, not just bigs, but everyone, guards and small Forwards turn the corner and head right to him.
Unfortunately he is playing along side another big, that is not known as a shot blocking defender either.
I would like to see him develop as a stretch 4. See what he can really turn into at that position.

[furball]

You are right, he's not a center which is why they need to trade Sully for a real center and move him to power forward.  Although, in reality, Sully plays Center and Kelly plays PF.   Sully usually defends the big post player while Kelly chases the smaller big around the perimeter and Kelly hardly ever steps inside the thee point line on offense, playing like a stretch 4. 

[crownsy]

I think if you sat Celtics brass down and got them to answer honestly, they would agree with you.  I'm sure they want Sully and KO to eventually be our 1-2 Punch at Power Forward, with one starting and another being the first big off the bench.

However, since we have no actual true Center worth a [dang], and both guys need playing time to develop, they are shoehorning them both into the starting lineup.

Edit: my time off is showing, I forgot the D-word was banned here ha. my apologies.

[crownsy]

I agree, but you can see him confused and loosing confidence too, while manning the starting center position. He must see the opposing team going after him, not just bigs, but everyone, guards and small Forwards turn the corner and head right to him.
Unfortunately he is playing along side another big, that is not known as a shot blocking defender either.
I would like to see him develop as a stretch 4. See what he can really turn into at that position.

If he's enough of a mental midget to fold under just from being "targeted" by opposing game plans, then he's not going to develop into anything remarkable anyway. The last thing i worry about is KO's hurt feelings from being the target of post plays when the other team has a true center.

[timpiker]

I think you're a little short-sighted by what you might call a "traditional" center.  Kelly could be a very good center - it depends on who is playing against.  Maybe half the league has centers that Kelly can play well against.  Now if you mean Dwight Howard, then no.

[Celtics4ever]

He has tools to play high post center just fine on offense, on defense that is another story.

[D.o.s.]

He has tools to play high post center just fine on offense, on defense that is another story.

Agreed. You can get away with someone like Olynyk at the 5 if you're fortunate enough to have an Ibaka type at the Power Forward spot.

[Mr October]

He has tools to play high post center just fine on offense, on defense that is another story.

Agreed. You can get away with someone like Olynyk at the 5 if you're fortunate enough to have an Ibaka type at the Power Forward spot.

...and if KO is just a bench player.

I can't imagine KO being the starting center on a championship team. Even paired with KG in his prime i can't imagine it. A center needs much more muscle to hold their own. The road to a championship used to run you into Pau Gasol, Bynum, Howard, Duncan. Going forward there is still Marc Gasol, Noah, Cousins, Brooke Lopez, Tyson Chandler, Valanciunas and so on.

KO looks like a nice complimentary 4/5 off the bench. A stretch energy guy who passes and rebounds well. And that's just fine.