The roster and preseason

[Snakehead]

Again I think Morris will be better but a few of you guys should look into Morris playing PF last year.  It wasn't good.  He isn't his brother exactly on the boards.

As long as he boxes out; that's enough in our system.  Noticing more and more in tape how our bigs are coached to hold the box out, let a guard grab the board. 

What did Avery average like 7 reb a game last year?   Doubt he does that under Stan Van Piston

Our team was bad at rebounding last year.  There's nothing to brag about there.  Morris is worse than anyone we played at PF at rebounding too and you are asking him to start against legit PFs?

Avery is good at that and it's not exactly rare for an athletic guard.  Rozier can grab boards too.

Baynes is better at rebounding than anyone on the roster and you guys are arguing against how Stevens has done the rotations for years now.

[spikelovetheCelts]

You've left out Daniel Theis from the list who has been signed for next season, presumably guaranteed.

That also means that one of the guys you have listed won't be making the roster. Honestly I thought that Yab would be stashed another year because these roster problems were always going to exist but it seems like he's on his way over. So it'll be 2 spots between Nader, Semi and Jackson. Jackson has the edge in that he has a guarantee in his contract but he is also the least needed of the 3. I think we end up trading him for a protected 2nd at some point and sign the other two guys.

Of course that would mean no Gerald Green this year as well which would be a shame, I'd like to find a way to get him on the team again.

you are right i keep forgetting about Theis. Either Jackson doesn't make the team or DA lets Nader walk in order to for him to find a bigger role. Personally I would move on from Jackson.

Nader and Semi May get  two way contracts Both have great potential. We have 2 of those this year. Since Jackson has a real contract he can't be one.
We technically have 17 slots.

[kozlodoev]

You've left out Daniel Theis from the list who has been signed for next season, presumably guaranteed.

Don't see how you can presume this at all. There's no indication that he's anything other than camp fodder at that stage.

The Celtics routinely sign guys on "two year contracts" that don't last past the end of their first September (see John Holland for a recent example).

[Darío SpanishFan]

I wouldn't bet we have this roster when training camp starts.

Theis has signed for two years, so at least we can assume half of this year is guaranteed. He wouldn't have signed otherwise, as he had lucrative offers in Europe, obvously for at least a full season.

[Snakehead]

You've left out Daniel Theis from the list who has been signed for next season, presumably guaranteed.

Don't see how you can presume this at all. There's no indication that he's anything other than camp fodder at that stage.

The Celtics routinely sign guys on "two year contracts" that don't last past the end of their first September (see John Holland for a recent example).

Yeah.  I think they signed him if it went worst case scenario and they couldn't get someone like Baynes.

[kozlodoev]

You've left out Daniel Theis from the list who has been signed for next season, presumably guaranteed.

Don't see how you can presume this at all. There's no indication that he's anything other than camp fodder at that stage.

The Celtics routinely sign guys on "two year contracts" that don't last past the end of their first September (see John Holland for a recent example).

Yeah.  I think they signed him if it went worst case scenario and they couldn't get someone like Baynes.

I think they'll give him a good, hard look during camp and possibly preseason... but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that he won't be cut in favor of Jordan Mickey.

[jpotter33]

Baynes is a back up. There is no chance in hell that Baynes starts IMO. Morris is the superior player to Baynes.

Morris isn't a C.  He wasn't even good as a small ball PF last year.  I think he can be better here but I think you're off base.  It's about what the team needs.

Stevens doesn't like to start small and Al doesn't want to play C every night against bruisers.  Some of you are going to be surprised I think if you think it's all small ball all the time.  This is the regular season and centers still exist.

I'm sure you guys were mad when Zeller and Amir were playing at times right?  You still have to play big guys.  Baynes and Zizic are good fits for the role.

And Horford isn't a PF, no matter how much he wants to call himself one.

And starting with Morris at the 4 is not "small ball." Small ball would be playing Jae as the 4. Morris has enough size to be a full-time stretch 4 in today's game. We're actually pretty decently sized in a lineup of IT, Brown, Hayward, Morris, and Horford.

I don't understand why people think we're getting Baynes to start. He's nothing more than a good bench bruiser to come in off the bench, defend, and grab boards. I think one of the big reasons we went with the Detroit AB trade over others is due to being able to grab an actual starting PF in Morris. Outside of rebounding, which apparently Brad and Danny don't really care about at this point, Morris is the perfect 3 and D starting stretch 4 for us.

[kozlodoev]

And starting with Morris at the 4 is not "small ball." Small ball would be playing Jae as the 4. Morris has enough size to be a full-time stretch 4 in today's game. We're actually pretty decently sized in a lineup of IT, Brown, Hayward, Morris, and Horford.

Morris is 6'8 and change (depending on how thick his shoes are). He's also a decidedly mediocre rebounder. He's a poor power forward, and he didn't play all that much PF with Detroit, unless you consider Tobias Harris to be a SF.

[saltlover]

You've left out Daniel Theis from the list who has been signed for next season, presumably guaranteed.

Don't see how you can presume this at all. There's no indication that he's anything other than camp fodder at that stage.

The Celtics routinely sign guys on "two year contracts" that don't last past the end of their first September (see John Holland for a recent example).

The rumor has been that some or all of his second year will be guaranteed, so it's not a completely ridiculous assumption, but it is one still based on rumor.

[kozlodoev]

You've left out Daniel Theis from the list who has been signed for next season, presumably guaranteed.

Don't see how you can presume this at all. There's no indication that he's anything other than camp fodder at that stage.

The Celtics routinely sign guys on "two year contracts" that don't last past the end of their first September (see John Holland for a recent example).

The rumor has been that some or all of his second year will be guaranteed, so it's not a completely ridiculous assumption, but it is one still based on rumor.

I haven't seen this from a credible source anywhere.

[saltlover]

You've left out Daniel Theis from the list who has been signed for next season, presumably guaranteed.

Don't see how you can presume this at all. There's no indication that he's anything other than camp fodder at that stage.

The Celtics routinely sign guys on "two year contracts" that don't last past the end of their first September (see John Holland for a recent example).

The rumor has been that some or all of his second year will be guaranteed, so it's not a completely ridiculous assumption, but it is one still based on rumor.

I haven't seen this from a credible source anywhere.

I don't know who you consider to be a credible source, but David Pick, who was the first one to break Theis to the Celtics, said that year 2 would have a partial guarantee.

[jpotter33]

And starting with Morris at the 4 is not "small ball." Small ball would be playing Jae as the 4. Morris has enough size to be a full-time stretch 4 in today's game. We're actually pretty decently sized in a lineup of IT, Brown, Hayward, Morris, and Horford.

Morris is 6'8 and change (depending on how thick his shoes are). He's also a decidedly mediocre rebounder. He's a poor power forward, and he didn't play all that much PF with Detroit, unless you consider Tobias Harris to be a SF.

He's been measured at 6'9" on numerous different occasions: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Marcus-Morris-5178/

He's essentially the exact same size as Amir, perhaps a few pounds lighter, and Amir was our legit starting center last year. And every time I watched him last year in Detroit he played more of the PF role than the SF role.

He's definitely a mediocre rebounder, but since when has Danny or Brad really cared about that? His other attributes far outweigh that deficiency, specifically his spreading of the floor, isolation offense abilities, versatile defense, and athleticism.

I really, really, really don't see us playing Baynes and Horford together all that much at all. That significantly hurts our offense and spacing, along with our defensive versatility.

[CFAN38]

And starting with Morris at the 4 is not "small ball." Small ball would be playing Jae as the 4. Morris has enough size to be a full-time stretch 4 in today's game. We're actually pretty decently sized in a lineup of IT, Brown, Hayward, Morris, and Horford.

Morris is 6'8 and change (depending on how thick his shoes are). He's also a decidedly mediocre rebounder. He's a poor power forward, and he didn't play all that much PF with Detroit, unless you consider Tobias Harris to be a SF.

He's been measured at 6'9" on numerous different occasions: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Marcus-Morris-5178/

He's essentially the exact same size as Amir, perhaps a few pounds lighter, and Amir was our legit starting center last year. And every time I watched him last year in Detroit he played more of the PF role than the SF role.

He's definitely a mediocre rebounder, but since when has Danny or Brad really cared about that? His other attributes far outweigh that deficiency, specifically his spreading of the floor, isolation offense abilities, versatile defense, and athleticism.

I really, really, really don't see us playing Baynes and Horford together all that much at all. That significantly hurts our offense and spacing, along with our defensive versatility.

I suspect Marcus will be defending the opposing teams PF 90% of the time this season. On offense as we keep hearing the Cs want to play position less.   

[Darío SpanishFan]

As I said, Theis is not signing here if he didn't have at least the first year guaranteed, as he had good offers in Europe.

Besides, David Pick is the most reliable basketball journalist regarding FIBA, especially European basketball.

Adam Himmelsbach (Boston Globe):

The Celtics also agreed to terms on a two-year deal with German forward Daniel Theis, a league source confirmed. The source said that the first year of Theis’s deal is fully guaranteed.

[kozlodoev]

As I said, Theis is not signing here if he didn't have at least the first year guaranteed, as he had good offers in Europe.

Besides, David Pick is the most reliable basketball journalist regarding FIBA, especially European basketball.

Adam Himmelsbach (Boston Globe):

The Celtics also agreed to terms on a two-year deal with German forward Daniel Theis, a league source confirmed. The source said that the first year of Theis’s deal is fully guaranteed.

Good offers in Europe were beaten by the NBA veteran minimum contract?!