C's "repeatedly" shopping Courtney Lee...

[GoGoCeltics]

Ok. Here's my take on the roster ....

Courtney is fine. And from what i've been reading, Avery is trying to develop into the backup PG role. We will slowly ease Avery back into game shape by having him take over Barbosa's role. This will also help decrease Rondo's minutes in games vs. teams like Detriot and Toronto. Our SF depth is great. Green is playing well. I really like him, and with more confidence and minutes, he will be a solid piece. I do think Doc needs to limit Pierce's minutes though. Have him at about 30-32, and Jeff as 24-26. Leaves our rotations at:

Rondo / Bradley
Lee / Terry
Pierce / Green

That seems fine. Lee will get better as the season goes on. Once playoffs come around, he will be hitting those open corner shots with no problem. Playing Terry alongside Avery will help mask his inability to play defense. Let Terry sit with the 3 pt shooters, and Avery will guard the playmakers.

The area of focus is the PF position, and backup center. Bass and Wilcox are not cutting it, and Sullinger keeps reminding us that he is a rookie. Wilcox cant be traded if I am correct, and that is fine because he has some chemistry with Rondo and works hard. His defense though does makes me uncomfortable, but we will need him to play the Bosh's and Amare's in the playoffs.

Danny needs to somehow package up Bass, Barbosa, Melo and a couple picks for a hardnosed rebounding PF who can catch lobs from Rondo. Who is this player?? Thats why Danny gets paid the big bucks. Milsap maybe??

Milsap is a free agent this summer, and lets say Utah is willing to part ways with him, and do a Bass, Melo, Barbosa and picks for Milsap.

Leaves us with a big man rotation of:

Milsap / Sully / (Jeff Green)
KG / Wilcox / (7 ft'er who gets cut during season)

1. Avery Bradley did so well last season because he plays off the ball and Rondo finds him. He needs no plays, just cuts to the basket. Bradley is a terrible PG, and isn't even special (offensively) without Rondo on the floor to find him.

EVEN IF Bradley was a serviceable PG, Bradley would see so little time that what's the point? Especially during the playoffs, where Rondo played over 42 mpg last season. Rondo will not be off the floor more than 8-10 minutes during a playoff game. Why not give those 8 minutes to a guy like Barbosa and package Bradley for a better big man?

2. You really think that there isn't a team in the NBA who will offer more than that garbage for Millsap? Utah will find a promising young guard for him, not subpar PF, D-League wannabee, aging has-been, and late first rounders.

[Edug27]

1. Avery Bradley did so well last season because he plays off the ball and Rondo finds him. He needs no plays, just cuts to the basket. Bradley is a terrible PG, and isn't even special (offensively) without Rondo on the floor to find him.

EVEN IF Bradley was a serviceable PG, Bradley would see so little time that what's the point? Especially during the playoffs, where Rondo played over 42 mpg last season. Rondo will not be off the floor more than 8-10 minutes during a playoff game. Why not give those 8 minutes to a guy like Barbosa and package Bradley for a better big man?

This goes along with my belief that Boston will not trade C.Lee. Add that to the fact that Avery refers to himself as a back up PG, leads me to believe this is the direction the team is heading. Be prepared to see a lineup of Rondo / Bradley / Lee / Pierce / KG to defend the Heat when LBJ is the PF and Ray is the 3. Or when Melo is playing the 4, with JR, Kidd and Felton all ready to jack up some 3's. I think having Rondo play the PG, and being able to shuffle between Avery, Lee and Terry is something Doc gets excited about.

2. You really think that there isn't a team in the NBA who will offer more than that garbage for Millsap? Utah will find a promising young guard for him, not subpar PF, D-League wannabee, aging has-been, and late first rounders.

Keep in mind that Milsap is a free agent this summer. If a team gives up a promising young guard for him, they better be ready to sign him to that large contract in the offseason. Plus, you have to be a team that Milsap will be interested in signing with long term. That right there takes away several teams that will be in the mix.

I am not saying we have the best package for Milsap, but my point was that Danny will have to dangle around Bass, Melo, Barbosa, and some first rd'ers and create some magic. Whats the best that that package can get us? Who knows. Especially when you can throw in a 3rd or 4th team into the mix.

[campybatman]

I'd rather keep him and give him more time. They worked damn hard to get the guy. To trade him would seem like bad business unless Lee is in favor of it. It's already hard enough as it is to get anyone to sign in Boston.

I concur with this reply. He has played well defensively... On the other hand, it's his offense that needs to catch up to his defense. So I'm willing to wait on him to come around. He isn't the sole reason the team's losing games. And his salary isn't a hindrance... Terry signed for the same amount minus one year. He hasn't made the biggest splash here either.

[celtxman]

I'd rather keep him and give him more time. They worked damn hard to get the guy. To trade him would seem like bad business unless Lee is in favor of it. It's already hard enough as it is to get anyone to sign in Boston.

I concur with this reply. He has played well defensively... On the other hand, it's his offense that needs to catch up to his defense. So I'm willing to wait on him to come around. He isn't the sole reason the team's losing games. And his salary isn't a hindrance... Terry signed for the same amount minus one year. He hasn't made the biggest splash here either.

I'd rather keep him and give him more time. They worked damn hard to get the guy. To trade him would seem like bad business unless Lee is in favor of it. It's already hard enough as it is to get anyone to sign in Boston.

So far he hasn't earned the contract, but that's not the main reason that I would like to see him traded if anyone is. This team is one big man short and one SG too heavy. Trading Lee to get Gortat makes sense. Bradley is cheaper and has played better than Lee in the Celtics system. Having Barbosa as a swing guard gives us nice balance in terms of minutes.


I concur with this reply. He has played well defensively... On the other hand, it's his offense that needs to catch up to his defense. So I'm willing to wait on him to come around. He isn't the sole reason the team's losing games. And his salary isn't a hindrance... Terry signed for the same amount minus one year. He hasn't made the biggest splash here either.

[LuckyLeprichan]

not a coincidence that the Celtics are losing 17-4 with Lee starting. I'm telling you they don't play well with him out there.

And who freakin cares if Doc and Ainge talked him into coming. It's a business. Nobody is safe unless you're a star player. Trade him if you can get a decent big man in return

Agree, however, trading a guy when he's playing his worst usually means getting the bad end of a deal.

[AKFO]

Lee, sully melo and a pick. I've said this a hundred times. That's Danny's offer for a 6"11 big man. That's what he s working with. He doesn't want to.trade Bradley or bass and teams don't want greens contract. This is very straight forward. The fact they like lee and sully means nothing. They liked perk too. Danny will trade because all that matters is banner 18 with kg and pp. If they win a title a guarantee they won't have trouble signing guys lol. I laugh at the notion that players won't go there because lee was recruited and then dealt lol.

Very solid post, but why do you laugh at the notion that players won't come here because Lee is dealt? Lee was torn between where he wanted to go, and he only came to Boston because he decided he wanted to win a championship and join the culture. If players in the future are torn between two teams, Boston is not being chosen because the FA will know of their high tendency to be dealt.

[ddb]

^^^well then that player will come in and secure his job by his performance like any working human being should do. Lee has been okay at best. He s their only trade chip with a significant enough salary to match for trades. Bass is the other but not until 1-15. Lee sully or bass Bradley. Those r Danny's options and I guarantee he prefers to work a deal with the first pair

[Andrew McCeltic]

Courtney Lee was probably just happy to get paid. He signed with Boston after we'd signed Terry and had Bradley in the fold- he knew he might not have consistent minutes- this wasn't an O.J. Mayo deal to play a year and get a bigger contract, it was more like payday. And I'm not sure Lee has the stature in the league, because of his age and relative talent, to really draw much sympathy. Trading Jason Terry out of the blue might be a different story. For all we know, Lee's agent is calling around trying to find a better situation for his client.

[CelticFaninLBC]

If the C's don't have enough for Gortat, is Bass, Lee and Melo worth Okafor??

[702Celtics]

Hill/Blake/Ebanks for Lee/Bradley?

This is coming from the same guy who wants Lee, Bass, Green, Bradley, and Sullinger for Pau Gasol. Get outta here, clown.

[threrf23]

I don't really get trading Lee right now. He is shooting 29% from 3. He will not keep that up. We would be selling low. His performance thus far has been fluky.

If we bothered to sign him, we envisioned some kind of role for him. I'm not sure what that role was...perhaps if he worked out we could trade Avery...or we wanted the best third string SG in the game and/or we thought he could guard the SF spot on occasion...but even if we decide we made a mistake, patience is a virtue here IMO.

There are some players who I would expect to see stop caring / not play so well after signing a contract. While Lee's history doesn't inspire me to call him a consumate pro per se, he is not a guy I would expect to get a contract and stop caring. By my stats he has shown relatively steady improvement over the years; the improvement hasn't necessarily been extremely significant and it hasn't been in a straight line, but it has been there before his contract year.

Lee's agent is calling around trying to find a better situation for his client.

This is possible, I assume that is why the Rockets initially released his rights. Be he doesn't have the stature for that, and he knew at the beginning that we had Avery Bradley & Jason Terry in the mix.

[CelticsRise]

Guys, Bradley hasn't proven anything. What did he have a 20 game stretch at the end of the season? Seriously, he's coming off double shoulder surgery, broke out late year when no team had research on him, playing a completely different position.

There's no guarantee his shot will be back this season, and now that their is tape and more importantly time to do so, other teams may guard him properly (how about actually guarding him and not letting him just run off ball straight to the hoop?!?!).

I think we really need to calm down and realize Bradley has the potential to but is not a certainty to start on this team this year as currently constructed.

+++++++n

[jdm_dc_fan]

I don't think it's possible for avery to play as bad as lee has so far. Some of you are reacting like he had a torn acl.

[Bluewhale]

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/splits/_/ ... urtney-lee
Actually Lee shoot 41.7% at 3 point in december (7 games so far). So I think around the league people still think he is a good SG.

The problem is that we are still not sure how to use him, 25 minutes and 6 FGA is not the plan, I guess.

[ermocrate]

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/splits/_/id/3445/courtney-lee
Actually Lee shoot 41.7% at 3 point in december (7 games so far). So I think around the league people still think he is a good SG.

The problem is that we are still not sure how to use him, 25 minutes and 6 FGA is not the plan, I guess.

We have to increase the shots of Lee, Green and Sullinger...

[sully00]

I don't think it's possible for avery to play as bad as lee has so far. Some of you are reacting like he had a torn acl.

No he had surgery on both shoulders because they were popping out of their sockets. So no not an ACL but not a thigh bruise either he hasn't played ball in 6 months.

There seems to be a market developing of players recently signed and traded for that aren't working out and mix in guys who are on expiring deals. Now Lee's performance hasn't been great but the reality is he plays a position were the production is just terrible around the league.

I don't think there is any chance that Ainge moves Sullinger unless it is for an All Star. I think they would try to package Lee and Bass for a big man so they can play Sullinger more.

But I would not let the results of the last two games make the call on whether or not you start Lee. He has played reasonably well in the two games, it isn't his fault Rondo turned it over 7 times a game or Bass went invisible. Hell even if you want to deal him you should want him starting that is how you increase his value.