(can't trade Zeller) Hunter or Young needs to start packing?

[TrueFan]

RJ looks like the odd man out to me. He fell pretty far down the rotation. Below James Young.

They are both too slow from my observation. Young at least built some strength. I'm not sure RJ has the frame to get stronger and he's not getting any quicker.

[Kuberski33]

I just realized I missed the fourth option of they both get cut. Sorry about that. That would be shocking. Mickey and Jackson showed what they had to show. I don't know this Bentil guy. Why would Danny keep him over one of the other two? I guess ultimately none of this matters. We are talking about the 15th guy. It must be about who don't they want to risk cutting who will embarrass them for the decision.

Bentil is young and raw but made a huge jump at Providence last year.  He probably should have stayed in school and if he had might very well be at least a top 15 pick next draft.  He's got size and can shoot and could, in time, turn into a relally good 4.  He's not going anywhere. 

[Kuberski33]

Hunter had an excellent game yesterday.  In his favor is his ability to pass and read the game - he's an obvious coach's son.  If he plays like he did yesterday, he might be able to overcome his lack of athleticism.. But he has also not been consistent.  Young actually played decent too except that he couldn't make a shot.  His D was pretty good, he competed and made good decisions moving the ball.  Both of these guys have some NBA skills (edge to Hunter) but also serious downsides.  And that's something you can say about the end of roster guys on most NBA teams.

[CelticPride2016]

A lot of the voting came just after the first game where Young shot 3-3.  Now RJ goes and has a good game, and I bet a re-vote would now look different.

Also the whole situation got a little trickier too with both Green and Jackson having good games.

Thanks. I tried to see if I could edit the poll but didn't see where I could switch it to the option for changing one's vote.

I think Green, Jackson and Mickey have simplified things quite a bit. Gerald Green is going nowhere as we are going for wins. Jackson showed he has inbuilt skills like a Rozier and Mickey showed he is not a lost cause on offense.

Bentil seems to be the only potential monkey wrench left. I had been assuming the fight was on between Hunter and Young, but Bentil is still on the team and in the hunt for the last spot.

[SHAQATTACK]

Hunter spindly

[CelticPride2016]

Bentil is young and raw but made a huge jump at Providence last year.  He probably should have stayed in school and if he had might very well be at least a top 15 pick next draft.  He's got size and can shoot and could, in time, turn into a relally good 4.  He's not going anywhere.

Thank you also. I don't follow college basketball or even the draft that closely. I end up relying on other people's opinions and then if I get the chance to watch them on the team. I finally saw Jackson and was impressed. I was worried about Mickey, but he showed some finesse on offense. Hunter still worries me with his shooting, but I liked what I saw with his overall game. I like the improvement of James Young on offense, but his defense scares me to the point I wonder if he will ever figure it out.

Nader made sense. The team likes him and they figured out a way to proceed forward without him clogging up the roster. The team worked out deals with Yabusele and Zizac. Bentil is the mystery factor and thanks for forcing me to look around a bit.

Former Friar Ben Bentil a long shot to make Celtics roster
http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20161001/former-friar-ben-bentil-long-shot-to-make-celtics-roster

I don't really want to change my vote from Hunter, but I wish I had that option if Bentil somehow breaks out in the preseason or otherwise shows he is a much better prospect than RJ.

I don't think the decision will have anything to do with roster redundancy. I thought it did and that was why it looked to me like a duel between RJ and James.

If it was based on redundancy, then it would be a battle between Mickey/Bentil or Hunter/Young.

The info I am missing is what happens if we cut Bentil? Where will he go next? Will he be instantly gobbled up by another team? I find it hard to believe that if Hunter or Young gets cut, other teams will jump on such a 'great opportunity'. They both seem to be scrubs unless proven otherwise.

Maybe Hunter would be quickly picked up. He is a lightweight and his jump shot currently looks weak, but skinny players have excelled in this league before and Hunter looks and acts like an NBA player. I can't say the same for James Young and am not sure why people keep hanging onto the idea he has a boatload of potential.

Bentil seems to be the one of three most likely to burn us if he slips out of the Celtics' system with the other two not so much. The race for the final roster spot remains murky.

[ThePaintedArea]

Hunter had an excellent game yesterday.  In his favor is his ability to pass and read the game - he's an obvious coach's son.  If he plays like he did yesterday, he might be able to overcome his lack of athleticism.. But he has also not been consistent.  Young actually played decent too except that he couldn't make a shot.  His D was pretty good, he competed and made good decisions moving the ball.  Both of these guys have some NBA skills (edge to Hunter) but also serious downsides.  And that's something you can say about the end of roster guys on most NBA teams.

I think that this is a pretty good summary of the situation, and I appreciate the sympathy for both players, which I share.

Both guys have put in some work in the summer this year:
 
 Young putting it on the deck, switching hands in the lane and laying it up against the Sixers was a minor revelation; maybe his upside is greater than 3 and D wing rotation player.  Good soft hands, beautiful stroke.  And the offseason development on his body is apparent.  You point to the good ball movement (3 assists) in the second Hornets game; that's what a coach wants - if the shots aren't falling, find other ways to contribute.  Whether he stays with Boston or not is another question, and they've brought in a couple of players in front of him.  But good work, James Young.  Looks like he can have a career in the Big Show.

 I'm with you on Hunter - god I love watching guys who can play, and he's a coach's son and a gym rat.  Some posters have pointed to the problem of his skinniness, but it's more than that; his shoulders are way protracted in resting position and his knees hyperextend slightly.  The right elbow and right leg wrappings are not welcome signs at all.  You can run offense through him, and he can even be the ball-handler in a pick and roll situation; that can be a huge asset when you have point guards who can play off the ball like Thomas and Rozier.

So here's my opinion: keep Young on the 15-man roster, have Hunter in Maine again and work on his body.  Mickey yes, Jackson yes, Bentil no.  I'm surprised that Mickey is even a question: upside is rim-protector with a jump shot - those guys are unicorns, highly prized.

[ThePaintedArea]

So here's my opinion: keep Young on the 15-man roster, have Hunter in Maine again and work on his body.  Mickey yes, Jackson yes, Bentil no.  I'm surprised that Mickey is even a question: upside is rim-protector with a jump shot - those guys are unicorns, highly prized.

What am I thinking.  No.  Mickey, Young, and Hunter on the 15-man roster.  Jackson is behind Thomas and Rozier, and now's the time to get Rozier some court time so he can help you in the stretch run when you've got to keep winning. We've also been seeing in pre-season an experiment with Smart as the primary ball-handler (last season he played virtually every minute with either Thomas or Turner).  I think that that will disappear once the Show begins (but invaluable training to be a secondary ball handler), but still.

This is what you call "a good problem to have".

Over the summer Ainge said that Mickey was ready but there wasn't a spot for him.  Well, the numbers are the same this year, but he's earned a higher status and more opportunity.  If the 3-pt range is real, then he'll at least pass Zeller.

I don't get the contempt for Zeller - he's the 4th or 5th big, for god's sake, good team defender with an effective mid-range pick and pop or spot-up game. The contract is short and the money is minor.  He's a great value and easily traded.

[rollie mass]

celtics pride-i think teams would take three years of nba training on 21 year old young  and hunter might have some value for his bbiq and passing
bentil is a tweener that has shown nothing summer league or pre season
i assume he would go to d league and try to get called up by somebody
rj has good shoulders and standing reach but has no lower body to fight over screens-hunter and young are both liabilities on defense and don't make their shots
nader has 7-1 wingspan is 6-6 and i think shot 40% from three his last year in college-his shot seems nice and he is unhurried and can play defense and has good body but he is trapped up in maine, so no problem watching him gain experience-
so i think danny will keep whoever has better trade value
green is a lock as well as mickey and now jackson

[ManUp]

James Young.

People are disappointed that the guys who was projected as a long term prospect coming in was actually a long term prospect. He was raw when we drafted him and he still is, but guess what. He's still 2 years younger than Hunter. Bigger, Longer, and a better athlete and even seems like more of a natural shooter. He will probably never be the playmaker RJ is but I think he'll be a better Shooter, Rebounder and Defender.

[ThePaintedArea]

James Young.

People are disappointed that the guys who was projected as a long term prospect coming in was actually a long term prospect. He was raw when we drafted him and he still is, but guess what. He's still 2 years younger than Hunter. Bigger, Longer, and a better athlete and even seems like more of a natural shooter. He will probably never be the playmaker RJ is but I think he'll be a better Shooter, Rebounder and Defender.

I'd have more trouble deciding than you, it looks like - but all of your points are good ones.

[CelticPride2016]

ThePaintedArea- Maybe I misread your posts, but the problem is only one of Hunter, Young and Bentil can stay if everyone else is safe.

Rollie- Thanks for the info on Bentil. I must be related to Tommy Heinsohn because I usually send all young players with talent directly to future all-star games and glory.

I don't think Young's three years of experience will be enough to give him trade value. I don't think he would get any minutes anyway to up the value.

I think players need to be well-rounded to make it. It's not like James Young is automatic at what is supposed to be his best asset of shooting.

I think Hunter is much more ready to help than Young if injuries forced one of them into the rotation.

Bringing up Nader is a good point or even Yabusele and Zizac. If they weren't stashed, Young would have probably already been cut or added to a trade.

This is also about next year when those three guys might be ready plus we'll have the Nets' pick and maybe one from Minnesota. Pressey and Holland are long gone and some of these other guys are on the chopping block.

Rollie has a good feel for basketball based on personal experience. I will assume Bentil then has no chance and it's down to Hunter versus Young.

Preseason games tend to be boring, so maybe we should appreciate the side drama.

Maybe James Youngs' problem is he's a bit like Rick Fox. Some players seem to have difficulty focusing. They seem to daydream. Hunter is into the game every second. He needs to take control of his body and stop shooting like he's on the globetrotters. It's not like Hunter shoots well. He needs to break down and rebuild that pitiful jump shot. I did see him nail a three. I don't like chuckers. I don't think they are worth the ball hogging and/or an abundance of bricks absorbed waiting for them to get in the zone.

It's funny about your thread on That Does It. I forget what you said exactly. I saw that play and had the exact reaction. James Young looked like a high school player participating in an NBA preseason exhibition. Everyone gets burned, but that was scary bad defense.

[hagar55voa]

Don't want to trade Zeller...Want to play him more...

[ThePaintedArea]

ThePaintedArea -  the problem is only one of Hunter, Young and Bentil can stay if everyone else is safe.

Is everyone else "safe"?

You would need to add Demetrius Jackson, who has partially guaranteed money, to that group; and though I would not add Jordan Mickey, it looks as though some people would.

It's hard to see Bentil staying (addressed elsewhere, but rollie's calling him a tweener is not a bad start), which leaves two of Jackson, Hunter, and Young to consider.

I don't have any strong opinions about this whole thing; in the end, as a couple of posters have pointed out, we're only talking about the 14th and 15th men.  I like all three for their different abilities and potentials, and I guess I don't care very much which two it is.

I guess my biggest skepticism is about Hunter's body and his being able to last in the league physically and to play NBA defense.  I'd cut him, even though I like his game the best.

Maybe James Youngs' problem is he's a bit like Rick Fox. Some players seem to have difficulty focusing.

I hadn't heard that about Fox; but things didn't work out too badly for him in the end - he was a starter on three championship squads.

[yelkao]

I wonder if Ainge has some kind of an agreement worked out with D. Jackson. Like -

'Here's a bunch of guaranteed money, you aren't going to make the team this year but we will pay you real money to play in Maine and get experience. In exchange for this guaranteed money we ask that you don't sign with another team.'

 So basically the Celtics pay him like he's on the roster but stash him in Maine so he doesn't take up a roster spot. This way they hold onto Young, Hunter and Mickey, and can even call Jackson up to fill out the expanded roster come playoff time. Then re-sign him next year if you have to have him.