So what moves do people suggest?

[droopdog7]

I'm on record numerous times indicating that this team has issues of fit.  Difficult for many guys to play with Kyrie, too many guys need to pound the ball to be effective, young versus old, established versus up and coming, no specialists, no deadly shooter, and on and on.  People will point to last year with Kyrie and suggest otherwise but last year was an entirely different team.  Tatum was a rookie and tried to fit in.  Brown was in his second year and tried to fit it.  They are now in the middle of the chemistry issues, along with reintegrating Hayward.

I am also of the belief that guys don't really change much.  They can't change their skill set at this point, so you can't just say do this or do that more.  Drive more, draw more fouls, stand in the corner and shoot, move the ball, and blah blah blah.  This team doesn't have anyone that draws fouls as part of their game.  This team has a lot of guys that want to isolate.  This team doesn't have anyone that is comfortable spacing the floor and shooting (and making shots) off of other guys.

So Brad, IMO, is left with really only one card to play.  Altering lineups and playing time.  So, if you accept my premise (or not), what do you alter?

For me, I think you start by benching Rozier.  Put him on the pine and tell him to wear his seat belt.  Is Rozier the cause of all the team's issues?  Of course not, but he is such a knuckle-headed player that goes rougue on offense and defense so often that it has to drive the other guys nuts (I know if drives me bananas).  He is the lowest IQ, playing with blinders guys, I have ever seen.  Wannamaker come on down.

In terms of the lineups, I consider removing Morris from the starting lineup and inserting Baynes (when Healthy).  I really wish we could move smart to the bench as well so he can back up smart but we played awful when the season started so probably leave that as is.

[knuckleballer]

Stevens needs to learn from Doc and introduce Ubuntu to the team.

Perhaps, some fun bonding non basketball event.  Seriously, this team needs to start having fun and believing in each other.  Otherwise, just sleepwalk through the season and wait for the big offseason trade.

[Greengang5]

Rozier possibly not playing tonight helps.  I would move Smart and Morris back to the bench and start Ojeleye and Hayward just to send a larger message.  But that would never happen.  I think you will see Baynes start with Horford before the end of the regular season.  How about a lineup of Irving, Tatum, Hayward, Horford, and Baynes for a couple games?  Hayward initiating the offense. 

[Silky]

with Baynes out I would go with

Kyrie
Brown
Tatum
Horford
Theis

Theis takes the pressure off Horord and doesnt need touches, Al moves to PF where he is more effective, Tatum stays secondary scorer in crunch time, Brown is 3rd offensive option and top defensive player.

Bench is
Smart
Hayward
Semi
Morris
Williams

Hayward runs the show, Morris is the primary scorer.

[Kuberski33]

I don't think there are any effective short term fixes unless you want to roll the dice, fire Brad and bring in a veteran NBA coach with experience getting vets to play for him. And who that would be - your guess may be as good as mine.

I think it is perfectly legitimate to ask whether Brad has the skill set to handle a veteran NBA team over the long haul?  The current group appears to have tuned him out and he appears to not be a fan of confrontation - i.e. benching Rozier.

There are no easy answers and whatever you do could easily backfire.

[KGBirdBias]

Everyone calling for benching Rozier, fine. So we are all cool with giving Wanamaker major minutes?

For one I would play Semi and Williams more because they make hustle plays without needing the ball.

[PhoSita]

For this year:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯


I've seen suggestions to shorten the rotation. 

Well, when has Stevens ever done that?  It's just not his MO.

I think they just need to ride this out to wherever it's headed.


For the summer:



Let Kyrie go be weird and unhappy somewhere else, trade Rozier, let Morris go, try to find a competent veteran replacement at PG for Kyrie, and then dedicate next year to finding out who among Tatum, Brown, and Hayward can make an All-Star game in the next few years.

Also - have Horford opt out and re-sign him to a long term deal for less money, e.g. 4 years $80-90 million.


Try to get back to being the kind of scrappy try-hard team that national pundits dismiss and that we can all feel good about.


Sure the end result won't be a title, but we're not getting there with this mix of personalities, that's for certain.

[slamtheking]

for the rest of this season, I don't think there's much to be done.  team seems locked into what they are individually right now.  playoffs are hopefully a different story but I'm losing faith in that possibility.

offseason - at a minimum, cut ties with Rozier.  not sure adding Davis solves all the issues but whether Danny gets him or not, the message from the top down in the organization needs to be  "this is who we have as a team and we are here to fight for a title as a team".  period. 

[droopdog7]

Everyone calling for benching Rozier, fine. So we are all cool with giving Wanamaker major minutes?

For one I would play Semi and Williams more because they make hustle plays without needing the ball.

In a word, I firmly believe that Wannaker would be better for this team than Rozier.  And it you decide to move smart to the bench, there is your back up right there.

[Csfan1984]

I'm for starting a playoff type rotation and get away from large sub packages. Go with the starters of

Irving, Brown, Tatum, Morris, Horford

Smart first guard off the bench.
Hayward first wing off the bench.
Baynes/Theis first big off the bench.

Rozier second guard.
Semi second wing.
Thei/Baynes/Williams second big off the bench.

If someone is hot leave them in till they get cold or ask to come out (even if it's Horford or Irving sitting).

[NKY fan]

1.) Talk to Cuban about Rozier .
2.) waive Rozier .
3.) Dallas claims Rozier .
4.) sign milos theodosic for prorated minimum contract.
 
This gives us playmaking for the second unit and we get below the luxury tax line.

[NKY fan]

Drain the swamp lol

[Yoki_IsTheName]

1.) Talk to Cuban about Rozier .
2.) waive Rozier .
3.) Dallas claims Rozier .
4.) sign milos theodosic for prorated minimum contract.
 
This gives us playmaking for the second unit and we get below the luxury tax line.

I love it. Assuming we will get some of the Euro League Milos Teodosic, add to it that guards seems to over achieve with this system (Jordan Crawford, Shane Larkin), I love his fit with us.

At this point I don't mind losing Rozier for nothing.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

For this year:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯


I've seen suggestions to shorten the rotation. 

Well, when has Stevens ever done that?  It's just not his MO.

I think they just need to ride this out to wherever it's headed.


For the summer:



Let Kyrie go be weird and unhappy somewhere else, trade Rozier, let Morris go, try to find a competent veteran replacement at PG for Kyrie, and then dedicate next year to finding out who among Tatum, Brown, and Hayward can make an All-Star game in the next few years.

Also - have Horford opt out and re-sign him to a long term deal for less money, e.g. 4 years $80-90 million.


Try to get back to being the kind of scrappy try-hard team that national pundits dismiss and that we can all feel good about.


Sure the end result won't be a title, but we're not getting there with this mix of personalities, that's for certain.

no thanks. brad can go. keep kyrie and get AD.

[jpotter33]

I'm on record numerous times indicating that this team has issues of fit.  Difficult for many guys to play with Kyrie, too many guys need to pound the ball to be effective, young versus old, established versus up and coming, no specialists, no deadly shooter, and on and on.  People will point to last year with Kyrie and suggest otherwise but last year was an entirely different team.  Tatum was a rookie and tried to fit in.  Brown was in his second year and tried to fit it.  They are now in the middle of the chemistry issues, along with reintegrating Hayward.

I am also of the belief that guys don't really change much.  They can't change their skill set at this point, so you can't just say do this or do that more.  Drive more, draw more fouls, stand in the corner and shoot, move the ball, and blah blah blah.  This team doesn't have anyone that draws fouls as part of their game.  This team has a lot of guys that want to isolate.  This team doesn't have anyone that is comfortable spacing the floor and shooting (and making shots) off of other guys.

So Brad, IMO, is left with really only one card to play.  Altering lineups and playing time.  So, if you accept my premise (or not), what do you alter?

For me, I think you start by benching Rozier.  Put him on the pine and tell him to wear his seat belt.  Is Rozier the cause of all the team's issues?  Of course not, but he is such a knuckle-headed player that goes rougue on offense and defense so often that it has to drive the other guys nuts (I know if drives me bananas).  He is the lowest IQ, playing with blinders guys, I have ever seen.  Wannamaker come on down.

In terms of the lineups, I consider removing Morris from the starting lineup and inserting Baynes (when Healthy).  I really wish we could move smart to the bench as well so he can back up smart but we played awful when the season started so probably leave that as is.

Yeah, I disagree that the playing styles don't fit together (personally I think it is more about characters, personalities, and age), but I think that virtually every Celtics fan can agree that benching Rozier is the first needed move. Not only is it really addition by subtraction, but it opens up more time and touches for other guys, specifically Brown and Tatum.