Bill Simmons' Podcast (Bill Don't Lie) w/ Ryen Russillo

[LarBrd33]

I still believe in a thing called Love. I shant apologize for it.

Me too.  Kevin love would be huge here.

[tarheelsxxiii]

I still believe in a thing called Love. I shant apologize for it.

Me too.  Kevin love would be huge here.

In what way?

[Monkhouse]

I still believe in a thing called Love. I shant apologize for it.

Me too.  Kevin love would be huge here.

In what way?

Good rebounder, can play outside the post, 3pt shot, decent stepbacks, and amazing outlet passes? He ranked top 5 in defensive rebounds last year with the Wolves, and he can do it again. I really don't understand how badly CLE misuses him.

Love would lead our team in scoring, and Isiah Thomas would win sixth man of the year.

Kevin Love would be a perfect player in Brad's System.

[tyrone biggums]

The only way Love works is if you have an anchor down low. I always felt someone like Chandler would be a perfect fit next to him. Find that guy and Love will be an amazing player to watch. Then I guess you just need Smart to develop and sign an elite SF. Not the easiest approach but I'm pretty sure this is the quickest way to contend again,.

[chambers]

Saltlover will know, but does anyone know if we have enough room to sign Love and DeAndre Jordan to maximum deals this off season? If we sent Wallace with some picks could we sign a 3rd max player?

Something like

Smart
Bradley
draft pick
Love
Jordan

is a line up that could be helpful in persuading Kevin Durant (or anyone) to come here.
I mean it's conceivable that with the new salary cap we could sign 4 max players if I'm correct.
Those two would be good starting pieces if we wanna attract Westbrook to play with his UCLA teammate at contract's end.

[D.o.s.]

Saltlover will know, but does anyone know if we have enough room to sign Love and DeAndre Jordan to maximum deals this off season? If we sent Wallace with some picks could we sign a 3rd max player?

Something like

Smart
Bradley
draft pick
Love
Jordan

is a line up that could be helpful in persuading Kevin Durant (or anyone) to come here.

http://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/cap/2015/

Love and Jordan are both eligible for max deals that are 25% of the salary cap.

Have fun.

[gpap]

I am listening to the podcast and it's quite interesting.

I think there is a possibility Love would come to the Celtics.

I think Ainge is going to really try to sell him on the city and here he would be the go to player, unlike the 3rd banana he is in Cleveland.

I know the Lakers is a possibility but I think he looks at the Celtics as having a brighter future.

We also need to remember as good as our team is playing, this is a team of role players like Bill Simmons states.

Add a star player like Love and I think we are a playoff team next season.

Then, other players would be interested in coming to Boston.

Not to mention, DA could also look to acquire another star like Kawhi Leonard.

Another great part of this would be the Cavs would've dealt Andrew Wiggins for just one year of Kevin Love.

Not this Kevin Love nonsense again.  He's a terrible defender and as soft, physically and mentally, as a 'star' can be.  He'd be perfect with Rondo and Kobe in Lakerland...

Only nonsense I see is why someone wouldn't want a player of Love's caliber.

If not Love, then what would be your solution to getting this team back to being competitive beyond this season?

[Evantime34]

I am listening to the podcast and it's quite interesting.

I think there is a possibility Love would come to the Celtics.

I think Ainge is going to really try to sell him on the city and here he would be the go to player, unlike the 3rd banana he is in Cleveland.

I know the Lakers is a possibility but I think he looks at the Celtics as having a brighter future.

We also need to remember as good as our team is playing, this is a team of role players like Bill Simmons states.

Add a star player like Love and I think we are a playoff team next season.

Then, other players would be interested in coming to Boston.

Not to mention, DA could also look to acquire another star like Kawhi Leonard.

Another great part of this would be the Cavs would've dealt Andrew Wiggins for just one year of Kevin Love.

Not this Kevin Love nonsense again.  He's a terrible defender and as soft, physically and mentally, as a 'star' can be.  He'd be perfect with Rondo and Kobe in Lakerland...

Only nonsense I see is why someone wouldn't want a player of Love's caliber.

If not Love, then what would be your solution to getting this team back to being competitive beyond this season?

I understand people not like Love in nebulous terms but think of it like this. Who would you like to be your start among Sully, Bass, Olynyk or Love? If you think about it like that Love is a no brainer.

[D.o.s.]

I am listening to the podcast and it's quite interesting.

I think there is a possibility Love would come to the Celtics.

I think Ainge is going to really try to sell him on the city and here he would be the go to player, unlike the 3rd banana he is in Cleveland.

I know the Lakers is a possibility but I think he looks at the Celtics as having a brighter future.

We also need to remember as good as our team is playing, this is a team of role players like Bill Simmons states.

Add a star player like Love and I think we are a playoff team next season.

Then, other players would be interested in coming to Boston.

Not to mention, DA could also look to acquire another star like Kawhi Leonard.

Another great part of this would be the Cavs would've dealt Andrew Wiggins for just one year of Kevin Love.

Not this Kevin Love nonsense again.  He's a terrible defender and as soft, physically and mentally, as a 'star' can be.  He'd be perfect with Rondo and Kobe in Lakerland...

Only nonsense I see is why someone wouldn't want a player of Love's caliber.

If not Love, then what would be your solution to getting this team back to being competitive beyond this season?

I understand people not like Love in nebulous terms but think of it like this. Who would you like to be your start among Sully, Bass, Olynyk or Love? If you think about it like that Love is a no brainer.

He's better than anyone we have at the position now, for sure, but that's a ridiculous argument to make, because there are players you can find that any NBA team "should go after" at every position.

Think about it like this: what does a team with Kevin Love as its best player accomplish?

[Evantime34]

I am listening to the podcast and it's quite interesting.

I think there is a possibility Love would come to the Celtics.

I think Ainge is going to really try to sell him on the city and here he would be the go to player, unlike the 3rd banana he is in Cleveland.

I know the Lakers is a possibility but I think he looks at the Celtics as having a brighter future.

We also need to remember as good as our team is playing, this is a team of role players like Bill Simmons states.

Add a star player like Love and I think we are a playoff team next season.

Then, other players would be interested in coming to Boston.

Not to mention, DA could also look to acquire another star like Kawhi Leonard.

Another great part of this would be the Cavs would've dealt Andrew Wiggins for just one year of Kevin Love.

Not this Kevin Love nonsense again.  He's a terrible defender and as soft, physically and mentally, as a 'star' can be.  He'd be perfect with Rondo and Kobe in Lakerland...

Only nonsense I see is why someone wouldn't want a player of Love's caliber.

If not Love, then what would be your solution to getting this team back to being competitive beyond this season?

I understand people not like Love in nebulous terms but think of it like this. Who would you like to be your start among Sully, Bass, Olynyk or Love? If you think about it like that Love is a no brainer.

He's better than anyone we have at the position now, for sure, but that's a ridiculous argument to make, because there are players you can find that any NBA team "should go after" at every position.

Think about it like this: what does a team with Kevin Love as its best player accomplish?

It accomplishes improvement, without giving up any of our assets.

Kevin Love as our best player allows us to become a more attractive destination (in both trades and Free Agency), so it's not like trading for him makes him definitely our best player for the foreseeable future. Love gives us a mechanism by which we are more likely to bring in a player better than him.

To answer your question in a quantifiable way, I think if you add Love to our team we can win the Atlantic next year.

[D Dub]

Think about it like this: what does a team with Kevin Love as its best player accomplish?

I think Love would be devastatingly effective with Thomas in the PnR/PnP

[Monkhouse]

I am listening to the podcast and it's quite interesting.

I think there is a possibility Love would come to the Celtics.

I think Ainge is going to really try to sell him on the city and here he would be the go to player, unlike the 3rd banana he is in Cleveland.

I know the Lakers is a possibility but I think he looks at the Celtics as having a brighter future.

We also need to remember as good as our team is playing, this is a team of role players like Bill Simmons states.

Add a star player like Love and I think we are a playoff team next season.

Then, other players would be interested in coming to Boston.

Not to mention, DA could also look to acquire another star like Kawhi Leonard.

Another great part of this would be the Cavs would've dealt Andrew Wiggins for just one year of Kevin Love.

Not this Kevin Love nonsense again.  He's a terrible defender and as soft, physically and mentally, as a 'star' can be.  He'd be perfect with Rondo and Kobe in Lakerland...

Only nonsense I see is why someone wouldn't want a player of Love's caliber.

If not Love, then what would be your solution to getting this team back to being competitive beyond this season?

I understand people not like Love in nebulous terms but think of it like this. Who would you like to be your start among Sully, Bass, Olynyk or Love? If you think about it like that Love is a no brainer.

He's better than anyone we have at the position now, for sure, but that's a ridiculous argument to make, because there are players you can find that any NBA team "should go after" at every position.

Think about it like this: what does a team with Kevin Love as its best player accomplish?

We've had had a few debates back and forth a few months ago, when the possibility of pairing up Rondo and Love looked promising, and my stance still stands.

If you can get a player like Kevin Love who is at least, a bonafide Allstar talent, top 10 rebounder, and excellent post/outlet/catch and shoot type of player that can at least average 16/10, (isn't that what we were expecting Sully to put up this year?) isn't that honestly amazing if we didn't even have to give anything away? Everyone or majority of people were opposed to trading the farm for Love, but if we can sign him in FA for LITERALLY nothing, then you just got a player that can drop over 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 3+ assists for absolutely zero!

Who cares what Love would accomplish as the best player? We're making the Eastern Conference playoffs, despite not even being over .500. That is how weak the East is. Signing Love, keeping our young nucleus together, and still keeping our assets? That is perfect. I don't think Love can be your best player, unless we got the right team built around him.

Durant/Westbrook, or other free agents in 2016 would have to seriously give us a consideration if we signed him. Love was interviewed by someone at a bar/pub, and was intrigued in learning about the history of the Celtics. The interviewer mentioned if Love came here, that he would be a superstar, and adored by the Celtics/Boston media, and I agree. Boston is a great sports town. Not the most endearing place to live as a sports athlete, and the weather/night life isn't nothing to write home about, but Love would be heavily marketed, and given much praise if he was to come here.

On what he thinks of the Celtics rebuild thus far: “I think Brad Stevens is an awesome coach. He has guys on this team that are talented. I like [Kelly] Olynyk’s game, [Jared] Sullinger, Jeff Green, I’ve always been a big fan of Rondo as well. They have good guys on this team and they are going to be able to figure it out as they accumulate more talent. Like I said, I’m a big fan of Brad Stevens and what they do here, plus they have a great fanbase.”

___

D.o.s., what is your biggest issue with Love? I understand you don't think hes a max player, but other than Greg Monroe, Deandre Jordan, and Middleton, who else could we realistically go after that can be impactful? In 2016, a lot of teams will have an exorbitant amount of cap space, so competition will be fierce.

[D.o.s.]

Love, to me, is one of those players that is tremendous at getting his numbers when he's the best player on the team -- the problem is that if he's the best player on the team, the team is likely going to be awful. Turner's mostly the same way.

Factoring in the cost of having to pay him the sort of money he'll be looking for, and coupling that with a personal belief that scoring is the most easily replicated facet of a basketball player, sprinkled atop the subjective fact that as a public figure he annoys me, and I'm not super stoked on seeing him with the Celtics. His 30/30 game was tremendous, but Mo Williams dropped 50+ this year, too.

As to the "who else" question, I think we should let the postseason shake out before we start really getting into the idea of star free agents and things.

[Monkhouse]

Love, to me, is one of those players that is tremendous at getting his numbers when he's the best player on the team -- the problem is that if he's the best player on the team, the team is likely going to be awful. Turner's mostly the same way.

Factoring in the cost of having to pay him the sort of money he'll be looking for, and coupling that with a personal belief that scoring is the most easily replicated facet of a basketball player, sprinkled atop the subjective fact that as a public figure he annoys me, and I'm not super stoked on seeing him with the Celtics. His 30/30 game was tremendous, but Mo Williams dropped 50+ this year, too.

As to the "who else" question, I think we should let the postseason shake out before we start really getting into the idea of star free agents and things.

Eh.

With the cap space rising, I just don't see Love as a huge issue.

I just think if we're going to pick up free agents, this year would be the best year to do so, so it'll help solidify our chances of pulling in another one in 2016.

[D.o.s.]

This is, I would wager, a bit of confirmation bias -- you've been onboard with bringing Love to the C's for what, years at this point? 

I should say that the dollar amount isn't really the concern when it comes to his contract: it's the percentage of the salary cap that he'll take up.