We don't have a backup SF unless we...

[floyd]

No doubt we will miss Posey's ability to match up with bigger small forwards on D. But our offense was pretty terrible when we went to the bench last year. Hopefully TA taking the lions share of the backup 2/3 minutes improves the offense and offsets Posey's contributions on D.

If TA can get back to form we should also have a defender to slow down the Joe Johnsons and Rodney Stuckeys of the world - something Posey was too slow to do. I think those guys reeking havok in the lane hurts you more than Vlad Rad shooting over the top of TA.

I wonder how long it will take NO to realize that Posey and Peja at the 2/3 is a defensive liability.

[humblebum]

Well, frankly we didn't have that last year. Posey was terrible at guarding Lebron.

Posey wasn't terrible against LeBron in my point of view. I think the overall defense with Pierce against him (but also the help D) was better than with Posey, but he wasn't terrible by any means. Right now we have to rely on 6'4-Tony which is not something I'm keen on. I still think we will miss Pose tremendously.

I don't know what you were watching but Posey's defense against Lebron consisted of prayers that Lebron would settle for the jumpshot. Any time Lebron decided to attack (which is when he's really dangerous and effective) he got by Posey with ease. Now the Celtics help defense is what forced Lebron to take jumpshots... that and Pierce's perimeter defense. Tony Allen is a better or equal perimeter defender to Pierce. Posey was too slow of foot to guard Lebron though the help defense made him look half decent defending him. So in my estimation having Tony guard Lebron, with the help of the Celtics bigs is not so bad of a proposition as people are making it out to be. He'll do a respectable job on Lebron. The only thing I worry about is the officials.

[Rocky5000]

Tony's weakness against Lebron is that Lebron can just shoot over him. However, If Lebron ends up a jumpshooter, we oughta be pretty happy. It'd be different if Tony was matching up against someone like Pierce, but there are only 1 or 2 players like him at the SF position in the NBA. Turkoglu, and Butler are two eastern players that should worry us more than Lebron matched up against out bench. Remember though, it's still usually the case that bench players play against bench players.