what if horford goes down

[rollie mass]

We are absolutely desperate up front with the projected loss of amir,zeller,kelly and jerebko
What a year to get number one and clear choice a transcendent young guard not a big or power forward/center.
i vividly remember what red did but unless there is a quality big involved its just more youth .

 

[Surferdad]

I hope you are not worried rollie.  Danny is not ignoring the issue.

[Boris Badenov]

Finding quality big man depth might be the toughest thing to do right now.

I think the basic problem is that the way the game has changed, all the old-style bruisers have become liabilities. (Remember when Jon Koncak was one of the highest-paid players in the game?)

So you've basically cut the pool of useful talent in half.

Here are the free agents, you can sort by position.

http://www.nba.com/freeagents/2017

Slim pickings. Anyone who's at borderline starter level or better will get a huge payday.

We have two hopes, I think. One is that there are a lot of big men available in the late first round, maybe one slips to us in the second (or we move up), and he happens to be NBA-ready.

The other possibility is that we hide in the shadows and follow the Spurs' European scouts around all summer. They seem to know something about finding talent that no one else does.

[D Dub]

This is another reason I'm not a fan of pursuing Hayward. 

Is it really worth gutting the front court to bring in a shooter?

Especially if you want to keep Fultz. 

All that said...here's hoping to a breakout season from Zizac!!

[Surferdad]

I could see DA re-signing Jonas Jerebko to a team-friendly contract after the FA and trades dust has settled, but that doesn't address the rebounding and rim protection.

Celtics will almost certainly get a quality big man in the 2018 draft.

[rollie mass]

thanks not worried but burned out by possibilities of trades and free agency-
I am concerned about isaiah,
 i posted last year, on the genius that is Isaiah and to enjoy it to its fullest because of type injuries  from his taking it to hoop
-I feared that at some point his wrist would get injured or hip/tailbone from number of times he hits the floor

Any team that has defensive intensity and plays with abandonment during regular season is going to suffer not only the usual injuries but some of catastrophic and unusual variety, crowder high ankle sprain ,,isaiah torn hip,kelly torn shoulder
marcus high ankle,dislocated fingers,dislocated knee and back problems during playoffs

[LilRip]

Our frontcourt, even with Horford, is probably one of the worst rebounding frontcourts in the league. I'd like to see Ainge go after a few cheap, bruising rebounders. One non-floor spacer won't kill the offense, IMO.

[Celtics4ever]

I'd like to see Ainge go after a few cheap, bruising rebounders. One non-floor spacer won't kill the offense,

As long as they can stay in playing shape and play help D and shoot over .45% from the field which leaves out Sullinger.  We really should try to get an athlete than can rebound.

[Somebody]

I really want us to go after Gasol hard in FA for a short term deal like the one he signed with SAS.

[Surferdad]

Our frontcourt, even with Horford, is probably one of the worst rebounding frontcourts in the league. I'd like to see Ainge go after a few cheap, bruising rebounders. One non-floor spacer won't kill the offense, IMO.

Right, if you think of Cavs with Thompson or Warriors with Zaza.  However, the C's don't have LB or KD so I think DA will go after shooting at ALL positions.

[LilRip]

Our frontcourt, even with Horford, is probably one of the worst rebounding frontcourts in the league. I'd like to see Ainge go after a few cheap, bruising rebounders. One non-floor spacer won't kill the offense, IMO.

Right, if you think of Cavs with Thompson or Warriors with Zaza.  However, the C's don't have LB or KD so I think DA will go after shooting at ALL positions.

You don't need LB or KD. The Warriors won 73 without KD, but with Bogut and Barnes. Bogut is not a floor spacer but sets great illegal picks to free up shooters. Granted, GSW's best lineup probably featured Iggy, in which case that'd be like when we play Horford at the 5, and then include Smart (or whoever) in the small ball lineup with IT/AB/Crowder.

If we had a hypothetical line up of IT/Bradley/Hayward/Horford/Tristan Thompson, I don't think our offense is going to grind to a halt.

[Phantom255x]

Yeah that is a glaring issue.

Griffin would be IDEAL as he also adds legitimate front court help, but his injury history isn't good and it's more likely he stays put. With Hayward there's at least a decent chance he could leave Utah.

[Surferdad]

Our frontcourt, even with Horford, is probably one of the worst rebounding frontcourts in the league. I'd like to see Ainge go after a few cheap, bruising rebounders. One non-floor spacer won't kill the offense, IMO.

Right, if you think of Cavs with Thompson or Warriors with Zaza.  However, the C's don't have LB or KD so I think DA will go after shooting at ALL positions.

You don't need LB or KD. The Warriors won 73 without KD, but with Bogut and Barnes. Bogut is not a floor spacer but sets great illegal picks to free up shooters. Granted, GSW's best lineup probably featured Iggy, in which case that'd be like when we play Horford at the 5, and then include Smart (or whoever) in the small ball lineup with IT/AB/Crowder.

If we had a hypothetical line up of IT/Bradley/Hayward/Horford/Tristan Thompson, I don't think our offense is going to grind to a halt.

Right, but who won the championship? The Cavs with LBJ.  My point is that if you don't have an ultra-elite future HOFer, you need shooting everywhere in today's NBA.

[ETNCeltics]

Our frontcourt, even with Horford, is probably one of the worst rebounding frontcourts in the league. I'd like to see Ainge go after a few cheap, bruising rebounders. One non-floor spacer won't kill the offense, IMO.

Right, if you think of Cavs with Thompson or Warriors with Zaza.  However, the C's don't have LB or KD so I think DA will go after shooting at ALL positions.

You don't need LB or KD. The Warriors won 73 without KD, but with Bogut and Barnes. Bogut is not a floor spacer but sets great illegal picks to free up shooters. Granted, GSW's best lineup probably featured Iggy, in which case that'd be like when we play Horford at the 5, and then include Smart (or whoever) in the small ball lineup with IT/AB/Crowder.

If we had a hypothetical line up of IT/Bradley/Hayward/Horford/Tristan Thompson, I don't think our offense is going to grind to a halt.

Right, but who won the championship? The Cavs with LBJ.  My point is that if you don't have an ultra-elite future HOFer, you need shooting everywhere in today's NBA.

GSW won the title with those same guys the year before.

[KGs Knee]

Our frontcourt, even with Horford, is probably one of the worst rebounding frontcourts in the league. I'd like to see Ainge go after a few cheap, bruising rebounders. One non-floor spacer won't kill the offense, IMO.

Right, if you think of Cavs with Thompson or Warriors with Zaza.  However, the C's don't have LB or KD so I think DA will go after shooting at ALL positions.

You don't need LB or KD. The Warriors won 73 without KD, but with Bogut and Barnes. Bogut is not a floor spacer but sets great illegal picks to free up shooters. Granted, GSW's best lineup probably featured Iggy, in which case that'd be like when we play Horford at the 5, and then include Smart (or whoever) in the small ball lineup with IT/AB/Crowder.

If we had a hypothetical line up of IT/Bradley/Hayward/Horford/Tristan Thompson, I don't think our offense is going to grind to a halt.

Right, but who won the championship? The Cavs with LBJ.  My point is that if you don't have an ultra-elite future HOFer, you need shooting everywhere in today's NBA.

GSW won the title with those same guys the year before.

Yes, against a Cavs team with Love out injured for the entire Finals and Kyrie only able to play in 1 game of the Finals.