Classifying the Celtics for What They Really Are

[Jammer]

The Celtics, for all the machinations of the summer of 2008,
consist of:

5 NBA Championship Quality Starters (Kendrick Perkins, KG, PP, Ray Ray and Rajon Rondo);
3 Championship Quality Backups (Tony, Eddie and Leon) with serious limitations;
1 player worthy of ACTIVE 12 status (Glen Davis);
4 PROJECTS (Patrick O'Bryant, Bill Walker, J. R. Giddens and Gabe Pruitt)
and 2 salary filler contracts (Brian Scalabrine and Sam Cassell).

Since normally a tradeable commodity is deemed either rotation worthy,
a project or
salary filler,
Danny Ainge doesn't have a hell of a lot to work with when it comes to trades.

I think Danny's Real Depth Chart looks something like the following:

Position ** Starter ************* Backup ********** ACTIVE 12 ******* PROJECTS *** Salary Filler
Center ** Kendrick Perkins * PRIME NEED ******* Glen Davis *** Patrick O'Bryant
PF ******* Kevin Garnett ***** Leon Powe ****************************************** Brian Scalabrine
SF ******* Paul Pierce ********* Ray Allen ******** 3rd NEED ****** Bill Walker
SG ******* Ray Allen *********** Tony Allen ************************ J. R. Giddens
PG ******* Rajon Rondo ****** Eddie House **** 2nd NEED ***** Gabe Pruitt **** Sam Cassell

So, although the 3 needs are obvious,
backup center,
backup point guard that can score,
and for depth purposes, not rotation purposes,
a true sized backup SF unless Bill Walker turns out to be that undersized guy,
there is not a lot to work with to go get it.

The only time Ray Allen hasn't been the backup small forward are
blowouts, with Tony Allen, or
very rare large second units with Scal at SF.
Ray is doing great, by the way, in 12 mpg at SF,
but that leaves the 24 minutes Ray doesn't play at SG.
A combo guard off the bench
that can score and play point guard, would be perfect, since
it would be extremely difficult to find an SF better than Ray.

Stephon Marbury is friggin perfect for this team.

[GreenMachine]

You are being Very generous here - "3 Championship Quality Backups (Tony, Eddie and Leon) with serious limitations"

And like it or not - Baby is having a better run then Leon.

[billfromBoston]

Its a good breakdown, but I do believe Scal has played well enough recently to warrant great consideration in the depth chart - his play over the past few weeks before injury was far more like his pre-Celtics days, when he was a productive rotation player.

I'd take an upgrade, but I think he's a top 12 guy historically and recently...

Playmaking PG who could defend the two would give this team 4 players that they could mix and match - if he can shoot and get into the lane this teams bench group sees a massive up-tick in consistency for sure - get a big man who can hit the jumper with better consistency and still bang - a combo of Davis and Scal essentially with height - and your in business.

However, I think the team can compete and win a title with Scal and Cassell being the backup PG and backup big man as long as there is a 3 man rotation of Davis, Scal, and Powe the team should get one quality performance every night. KG and Perk were doing it every night up until Perk's shoulder injury - once he's back up to norms the team's frontcourt becomes more versatile and mor e formidable - upgrading would be twice the magnitude.

Right now a playmaking PG is the real deal - this team could take any veteran pure PG and see an up-tick in production across the board. Right now running the pick and roll is a veritable impossibility, forget getting scoring out of that position.

Honestly, I don't see glaring weaknesses that are sure-fire deal breakers...only the true pessimists and dooms-dayers would call a 7 game series or even a closely contested game 6 loss to a team with home court a glaring indictment of the team.

This team could be stronger, but if resisting giving multi-year deals to minimum scrub vets like Lue and Finley or passing on bigger bucks to guys worth of a couple of seasons like Smith and Barnes...the team made a quality MLE offer to Maggette, so they were serious about adding true impact with luxury tax dollars, but not bit players who have waiver wire ability...

If Sheed, Camby, AI, Hill, Kidd, Shaq or any other big name aging vet comes on over the next two off-seasons I wouldn't be suprised - forget about the countless up-and-coming players who may also be lured away for mid-level money...sometimes not spending now means saving room for better options later.

I don't think Ainge is going to waste the window of GPA, I just think that he views it as a larger window than just this year and the next and by doing so he has extended out the window of FA watching to more of a 3 season deal, which would give him the option of giving out 2 and 3 year deals to coincide with KG's contract.

Unless you absolutely fall into the camp that believes this years team has "no shot" at winning the title, I can't see how this isn't the best strategy for competing in a 5 to 6 year window and not a 2 to 3...

[billfromBoston]

You are being Very generous here - "3 Championship Quality Backups (Tony, Eddie and Leon) with serious limitations"

And like it or not - Baby is having a better run then Leon.

I think career resume's relative to roles played give the distinction in his rankings, though TA and Scal could easily switch places depending on the weighting factors...Baby made great strides in the month of January and we're all hoping he continues that progress, but 1 month of 10 career is less of a track record than the aforementioned three, who have more consistent career histories to base a system off of. Jammer tends to use statistics to create his premise, so that would make sense...

[sully00]

Unless something changes we may have to hope Scal is a championship quality back up.

I am far more concerned with Eddie House than anyone else. Mostly because he is playing well so you tend to think you can count on him and historically he **** the bed in the postseason. I think Tony, Leon and Baby who will be who they are and while productive they aren't 6th man material at this point.

We could really use someone over 6'9" who can score 10 ppg and not make mistakes.

[billfromBoston]

I am good with the current incarnation of Scal and the eventual insertion of Sam Cassell to satisfy our two biggest needs...i'd like to see Bill Walker work his way past TA on the depth chart, but the team seems to stick with Tony through thick and thin...

I like our chances come playoff time - I think this team has heart and will be much more effective with a restricted rotation and the situational usage of another floor spacing big (Scal) and true PG (Cassell) they are not optimal, but they are upgrades in the need areas, so they have to improve the overall performance.

Scal's 3 point shot opens up the inside for KG/Powe/Perk/Davis, so his scoring itself has to be more of the timely variety - his last 4 weeks of play would have been a huge boon to this team if Perk had been healthy as well - we haven't seen a functional Scal with a full complement of bigs...

Cassell is still the best PG on this team not names Rondo - his ability to shoot and use the pick-and-roll game will be augmented by his familiarity with the team system and personnel that he didn't have last year...

I'd love to snag Marbury or Joe Smith - but I'll live with what we got a still feel the team can win another title...

[Jammer]

Its a good breakdown, but I do believe Scal has played well enough recently to warrant great consideration in the depth chart - his play over the past few weeks before injury was far more like his pre-Celtics days, when he was a productive rotation player.

I'd take an upgrade, but I think he's a top 12 guy historically and recently...

Scal is pesky on defense, executes plays, spaces the floor,
but must hit his shot to merit floor time, especially in the playoffs.

Playmaking PG who could defend the two would give this team 4 players that they could mix and match - if he can shoot and get into the lane this teams bench group sees a massive up-tick in consistency for sure - Yes.

get a big man who can hit the jumper with better consistency and still bang - a combo of Davis and Scal essentially with height - and you're in business.

Next year maybe Rasheed Wallace, but I would have tried to trade for Joe Smith last summer
just to help ensure a win this season.

However, I think the team can compete and win a title with Scal and Cassell being the backup PG and backup big man as long as there is a 3 man rotation of Davis, Scal, and Powe the team should get one quality performance every night. KG and Perk were doing it every night up until Perk's shoulder injury - once he's back up to norms the team's frontcourt becomes more versatile and mor e formidable - upgrading would be twice the magnitude.

Anytime one of Powe, Davis or Scal plays well AND one of Tony Allen or Eddie House
play well, then the Celtics seem unbeatable since the starting lineup is so remarkably consistent as a unit.

However, I tend to think that Sam Cassell doesn't have the legs left to play any D,
and I think that Pruitt can't be trusted to protect the ball against playoff level presses or to hit the open shots that he seems to get/create, although Pruitt might come along on another team where there is less pressure to NOT LOSE games.

Right now a playmaking PG is the real deal - this team could take any veteran pure PG and see an up-tick in production across the board. Right now running the pick and roll is a veritable impossibility, forget getting scoring out of that position.

Yes. To repeat, I don't think that Sam has the legs for ANY D anymore; and Pruitt was never a true point guard in the classic sense, just a pesky defender who can takes open shots and even creates open pull ups, but with a 0.314% Field Goal Percent, is not a bench scorer and likely will need to go to a team with less consequence of losing than a Championship contender to demonstrate if he can ever learn to function as a bench scorer in lieu of a classic PG.

...

If Sheed, Camby, Iverson, Hill, Kidd, Shaq or any other big name aging vet comes on over the next two off-seasons I wouldn't be suprised ... I hope so.