Developing our own talent

[walker834]

I'd like to see Ainge do this.  Seeing KO and Sully in the starting lineup last night was good to see.  Sully has been up and down and so has KO but Smart, BRadley, Sully and KO all deserve a shot here.  We have close to 30 million tied up in guys like Lee, Turner and Amir.   Some of this is due to Gerald Wallace being tied over from our previous max players in the KG and pierce deals.  Others are Ainge's own signings to make cap and fill needs in the interm.  Ainge made a nice trade for Isaiah using one of the picks we picked up.  We also picked up Crowder in the Rondo deal.  But the point should still be  to develop and pay our own talent ultimately and not overpay.  Maybe get a max player somewhere.  But who knows.  If it comes down to that I'd rather pay our own guys in ways if they are playing to their potential.  Smart, KO, Bradley, Sully, Isaiah and Crowder are all talented players I feel.

Right now we can't even start Smart.  Or Sully on some nights. Amir is nice to have for his post D.  We have Mickey and Rozier coming up though I feel. We have so many picks.  Unless rosters expand and teams start playing 6 on 6 Ainge has some tough decisions to make.

We can't even play guys like Zeller, Rj or Young a lot of nights either because of free agent signings and leftover contracts from the previous run.

[walker834]

Scal made an interesting point last night about Rose and Jimmy Butler and  how they don't really play well together. It's more like you score. Now I'll score.  Both guys are trying to be Jordan and it doesn't really work that way.  This is what has always separated the celtics in ways is that we actually play basketball and have players that compliment one another in different ways.  Past celtic players like Rondo, Perk, Pierce and KG all have a higher understanding of the game this way. It's not about having 5 star players.  There's defense involved and strategy and how we defend other teams and rebound the ball etc..  A lot of teams in the NBA really have no idea how to strategize or defend  or how they fit together.

This is what separates the Celtics in ways is that mystique and culture and understanding of the game.  Brad Stevens and the types of guards we are drafting and the type of bigs and how we'll defend a team like Golden State etc...   The Celtics are a step above other teams in that way.

I'm incredibly picky with the types of players we draft and who that is for that reason.  We need talent.  But there's more to it than just saying let's just trade all our guys for this player or that player.  We have developing talent anyways.

Red was always a master at this and building a team culture but picking his spots on where to make moves.

[walker834]

I'd like to see our own guys play more down the stretch I guess is what I'm saying and see what they can do.  We have Sully coming up for contract so we want to be somewhat careful. 

Unleash the Green. Amir is more a guy to help out to me with his post D and versatility but we have Mickey who is better ultimately imo and cheaper. Smart and Rozier, Rj and Young are the same thing to me over Turner. David Lee. Bleh. Play Zeller.

That's 30 mil in guys we don't really need that could go to extending and paying our own players and continuing to draft and pick our spots.

Maybe go hard after a guy like Kevin Love this offseason but that's pretty much it to me.

[SHAQATTACK]

Eject worthless ET off the team ...Lee too

Give minutes to Smart , Hunter ,Rozier , KO

[walker834]

Love was had for wiggins and we could legitamently do the same.  I think Amir, Turner and lee should be gone though.  Mickey, Rozier, smart, KO, Rj, zeller, young should have more of a legit shot.

Or just keep our picks and draft. Amir, Lee and Turner are at the end of their road of usefullness here though imo especially with KO playing better and Mickey needing time.

We can really just keep drafting and looking for a max guy though. I'm a genius and know it lol.

It doesnt even have to be kevin love. marc gasol. Bender and the draft.  All that stuff.  The celtics are fine.  I hope Ainge doesn't blow it but he signed these guys the way he did for a reason.

[mctyson]

Sully played great last night.  He was aggressive in the post and was a hawk on the boards as usual.  I feel like not having Amir there forced him to be that way and it worked.  If he plays like the consistently the Cs will be hard to beat.

Agree on the point of this thread...but you do have to take the known talent when it is there.

[walker834]

Turner and Amir are here as space fillers imo because Smart was not ready. Neither is Mickey.  He signed them for the interm which is fine but our young guys need a shot. Lee is just a holdover from the KG and Pierce deals.

We can either draft a superstar or get a max player once these guys are gone.  Or make a trade this deadline. That would be cool.

[Chief]

So either make the playoffs with 6th seed, play guys with no future on this team, and have no real chance at winning a championship

Or

Develop our draft picks at the Nba level, improve our own draft pick/maybe get 8th seed, and have a quicker shot at our own future.

Seems like a no brainer.

[walker834]

Turner and Amir are helping us in the interm but they are also playing for contracts elsewhere and upping their trade value to a contending team if we make a trade this deadline.

These guys are maxing out their value with us.  Sully on the other hand is our own player and we have the right to match. Same with Zeller.

[Chief]

Turner and Amir are helping us in the interm but they are also playing for contracts elsewhere and upping their trade value to a contending team if we make a trade this deadline.

I agree with Amir but is Turner really helping?

I don't think so.

[walker834]

this is true lol.  although i don't  hate turner. He's done a good job of what is asked of him. But he is playing for a contract elsewhere. That's why he's always the spokesperson in the media etc. He's trying to show he is a valuable player and market himself.

Ainge when he signed him probably told him he was fine with that and what he's doing anyways.

It's good for his value and the celtics anyways.

[Csfan1984]

We may have the opposite issue when it comes to development because C's are also trying to win. When trying to win you can not have so many inexperienced players part of the rotation. Sure if this team had just Smart, KO, Hunter and Mikey developing each would get proper roles and minutes to tune and develop their skills farther along but it's not just them. C's are try to win while developing
Smart
Rozier
Hunter
Young
Crowder (another year left to develop)
Sully
KO
Mikey
Zeller
More than half the roster needs development. So in trying to win and get them developed you mix them in constantly with different groups trying to create more experience and data. This may get them more experiences but it's not as good as fixed rotations in which they can grow accustomed and succeed. There are just too many guys to do the latter. DA should actually identify which guys he wants to keep long term that have starter potential. Move the guys he feels are limited to more bench type players. IMO KO, Sully, and Zeller are all off the bench players. He should package them with picks and expiring deals to bring in better players if he wants to win and still create room to develop players the right way.

[Celtics4ever]

Sully played great last night.  He was aggressive in the post and was a hawk on the boards as usual.  I feel like not having Amir there forced him to be that way and it worked.  If he plays like the consistently the Cs will be hard to beat.

Agree on the point of this thread...but you do have to take the known talent when it is there.

I thought he had a great all around game except for all the shots he missed and he kept bombing them even though he missed shot after shot.

A lot of our talent is finite folks.   We have some guys with some growth potential, but a few of them have little room to grow.  I for one, think, we could stand to upgrade our talent at several positions.

[walker834]

I agree in ways.  I think Ainge would consider moving a guy like Bradley or Crowder or Sully but I don't think that's his first intent.  One of them may very well be moved though.  Where we get a couple guys and upgrade a few spots.

I'm not big on that train, but I can see it happening.

[walker834]

Right now we have a potential 3 or 4, 5  man guard rotation and too many guards.  Someone might be moved. Even Isaiah.   I don't know right now. I hope Ainge doesn't do anything too stupid.  I'm really cautious on that stuff. I'd rather move a guy like James young.  Even him i'm cautious on.  Ainge sees these guys in practice so probably has a better idea.

Turner  is really the guy who needs to go. Smart isnt shooting too well even still  but Turner needs to go.