Craft your 2022-23 Celtics Roster – (20-Man Off-Season)

[Fierce1]

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1353340/israeli-league-mvp-chinanu-onuaku-to-have-a-workout-with-the-celtics/

Chinanu Onuaku is enjoying a breakout season on every level. After beating local powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli league, he was named MVP of the season and he has already a date with the Celtics.

[Fierce1]

Is this just due diligence on the part of Brad or does Onuaku really have a shot at making the roster?

[Hal14]

Is this just due diligence on the part of Brad or does Onuaku really have a shot at making the roster?

I haven't looked into Onuaku yet but I've posted in some of the other threads about a a few other bigs playing overseas who are simply too good for international play - they belong on NBA rosters:

Jo Lual-Acquil. 6'11". Long, athletic big who can shoot the 3, put the ball on the floor. Was arguably the best player in the entire NBL (australia's pro league) this past season. Age 28 so already developed - ready to come over and contribute right away

Duop Reath - also listed at 6'11" but looks closer to 6'10". Similar player to Lual-Acquil but Reath is 2 yrs younger (age 26), he appears to be a better, tougher, more hard nosed defender but not as polished with offensive moves off the dribble as JLA. Bottom line, he's got size, he can rebound, defend and shoot the 3. Also playing in australia's NBL..

Borisa Simanic - 6'11". Shot 42.4% from 3 this season, 42.9% the year before that and 47.8% the year before that. Bottom line, dudes who are 6'11", only 24 yrs old and shooting that good from 3 belong in the NBA. Decent defender. Playing for Mega Mozzart, in the Adriatic league in Europe.

IMO, JLA, Reath and Simanic are all good enough to play in the NBA. I posted about these guys in other threads and said how I hope Brad brings at least some of these guys in for a workout.

Again, I haven't looked into Onuaku much, but if he's as good as these other bigs then yes, there's a chance he can make our roster.

Edit: Ok, checking out some Onuaku vids now. He is really good. Lob threat. Really good moves near the basket. Really good as the roll man out of PnR, really good passer, excellent finisher around the basket. Can shoot a little bit in mid range area and from 3. So far pretty much everything I'm seeing in these vids is on offense, though - not sure yet how he is on D.

The one drawback I'm seeing in these vids from Onuaku is he does look a step slow - obviously the NBA game is faster and more spacing than european leagues so not sure how well he will translate..

But Onuaku looks really strong and beefy. Definitely shouldn't have a problem adjusting to the physicality in the NBA. Good footwork too. He's 25, turns 26 in November so literally entering the peak of his pro basketball career right now. Could be good timing to bring him over.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[playa-hater]

Is this just due diligence on the part of Brad or does Onuaku really have a shot at making the roster?

I am guessing both.. He would be more seasoned than a draft and stash.. 6'10 245 is at least decent size.. As I have said RW (injury) and Al (age) and Theis (limited) puts Boston in a need to get a Big sooner than later mode..

[Parliament10]

Is this just due diligence on the part of Brad or does Onuaku really have a shot at making the roster?

I am guessing both.. He would be more seasoned than a draft and stash.. 6'10 245 is at least decent size.. As I have said RW (injury) and Al (age) and Theis (limited) puts Boston in a need to get a Big sooner than later mode..

Makes sense. At the very least, he's an upgrade to Kornet.

[playa-hater]

Is this just due diligence on the part of Brad or does Onuaku really have a shot at making the roster?

I am guessing both.. He would be more seasoned than a draft and stash.. 6'10 245 is at least decent size.. As I have said RW (injury) and Al (age) and Theis (limited) puts Boston in a need to get a Big sooner than later mode..

Makes sense. At the very least, he's an upgrade to Kornet.

As a former member of Kornet's fan club, this hurts my feelings, but overall "True dat"

[bucknersrevenge]

It's really hard to find a good player with a $17 mil. TPE because if a player is making that little and is good, that player is creating excess value and teams don't want to give that up. I just did a cursory review and it's a sea of nopes (Marcus Education Reform Morris, Luke Kennard, etc.) and they probably don't give that to us's (DFS, Nance, Crowder, etc.).

Kennard's a possibility. LAC has a ton of wing depth with Kawhi and PG coming back. Don't forget Powell, RoCo, and Terrance Mann. LAC might actually be happy to let us take Kennard off their hands for nothing considering their investment in wings..

[BK_2020]

Maybe Kennard isn't such a bad choice. I think he's making a lot for what he is, and the ownership will have to commit to paying a lot of tax but it would undeniably be nice to have someone who can spell the Jays in the regular season and against some matchups in the post season. He and Theis would make for a nice salary balast if a trade opportunity came up.

[165bows]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

I remember being bullish on this guy back in the day. Looks like I just had the league wrong lol.

Not a shooter at all afaik, think he was underhanding FTs at one point. Might have a shot at the rest of the package though.

[BK_2020]

P.J. Tucker was an Israeli league MVP. He turned out pretty well.

[sam_I_am]

Didn’t he play for our summer league team before? I remember loving his toughness.

Yeah…..he played on team with Tacko, Green and Strus.

[Hal14]

watching this right now..

Watch on YouTube

-Looks VERY comfortable shooting that 18-20 foot jumper from just inside the 3 pt line. Already in the first few mins of this game he has hit 2 of those jumpers off the catch, looking smooth, confident, no hesitation
-Also early on he grabbed a rebound and was able to bring the ball up the floor himself, then around half court he threw a pass to a teammate under the basket for a layup - Onuako acting as a "Point Center" on this play, impressive
-Defensively so far he looks ok. Not great but not terrible either
-Again, the main weakness with him, it kind of looks like he's moving in slow motion at times. I like that he is big, strong bulky so he can muscle people around but maybe if we bring him over here he can get on the grant williams workout program to drop like 10 (or even 15) lbs, so he could be a little lighter on his feet
-At 8:20 mark. oh man, nice job taking the charge here
-14:25 nice job here sealing the defender off, which allows his teammate to drive to the basket for the and-1
-21:37 nice block here
-25:55 another nice block
-29:41 lol oh man, he really does shoot diaper shot free throws. He makes this one in though!
31:40 wow, really nice move here. Backs his man down in the post, then turns and makes a runner across the lane, shows soft touch with the finger roll, gets an and-1 too
38:59 damn, this play is sick. Heck of an offensive rebound here - then i don't even know how he does this, he's coming down with the offensive rebound, then basically all in 1 motion makes the pass to a cutting teammate who's behind him (what, does Onuaku have eyes in the back of his head?) and his teammate then makes the easy layup. This is a really high level play right here
39:53 switches out onto a guard, who tries taking him off the dribble. the guard gets some separation but Onuako does nice job recovering and then blocks the shot at the rim
45:00 strong take off the dribble here but misses the lefty layup. But watch how hard he goes after the offensive rebound and slams home the put back dunk - like a freaking beast!
He had some clutch FTs and baskets inside to push his team ahead in a close game, then iced the win with a nice block (his 4th of the game by my count) coming over from the weak side with under a minute left

His team won this game because the other team didn't have anyone who could match up with the size, strength and skill of Onuako - he was the difference in this one.

It would actually be pretty fun to watch this guy try to mix it up in practice vs Rob and Al..

[BK_2020]

Looks like he played in Croatia before. No idea why seasons are so short in those places. 20 games? That's a college season.

[Half-Full]

Is this just due diligence on the part of Brad or does Onuaku really have a shot at making the roster?

I am guessing both.. He would be more seasoned than a draft and stash.. 6'10 245 is at least decent size.. As I have said RW (injury) and Al (age) and Theis (limited) puts Boston in a need to get a Big sooner than later mode..

Makes sense. At the very least, he's an upgrade to Kornet.

Yeah, no disrespect to Kornet (who I like), but I very much doubt he would have a chance of winning MVP of Israeli league. I'm excited to see what Onuako can bring. Finding a serviceable big is very much a priority for the reasons Playa-Hater mentioned. If we can get one without having to shell out big bucks, all the better given our position with the luxury tax.

[bucknersrevenge]

watching this right now..

Watch on YouTube

I'm only a few mins in, first impressions:
-Looks VERY comfortable shooting that 18-20 foot jumper from just inside the 3 pt line. Already in the first few mins of this game he has hit 2 of those jumpers off the catch, looking smooth, confident, no hesitation
-Also early on he grabbed a rebound and was able to bring the ball up the floor himself, then around half court he threw a pass to a teammate under the basket for a layup - Onuako acting as a "Point Center" on this play, impressive
-Defensively so far he looks ok. Not great but not terrible either
-Again, the main weakness with him, it kind of looks like he's moving in slow motion at times. I like that he is big, strong bulky so he can muscle people around but maybe if we bring him over here he can get on the grant williams workout program to drop like 10 (or even 15) lbs, so he could be a little lighter on his feet
-At 8:20 mark. oh man, nice job taking the charge here
-14:25 nice job here sealing the defender off, which allows his teammate to drive to the basket for the and-1

It would actually be pretty fun to watch this guy try to mix it up in practice vs Rob and Al..

The passing is the most impressive thing. He looks comfortable finding cutters and spotting shooters. There is a level of IQ that I see in the passes he's making. Makes a good bounce pass when that's the only pass that will work. Add size, strength, and decent footwork. That's clay you can work with.

[Hal14]

Looks like he played in Croatia before. No idea why seasons are so short in those places. 20 games? That's a college season.

He played in 32 games this season, 57 games last season and 40 games the year before that:

https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Chinanu-Onuaku/Summary/54847

[Hal14]

watching this right now..

Watch on YouTube

I'm only a few mins in, first impressions:
-Looks VERY comfortable shooting that 18-20 foot jumper from just inside the 3 pt line. Already in the first few mins of this game he has hit 2 of those jumpers off the catch, looking smooth, confident, no hesitation
-Also early on he grabbed a rebound and was able to bring the ball up the floor himself, then around half court he threw a pass to a teammate under the basket for a layup - Onuako acting as a "Point Center" on this play, impressive
-Defensively so far he looks ok. Not great but not terrible either
-Again, the main weakness with him, it kind of looks like he's moving in slow motion at times. I like that he is big, strong bulky so he can muscle people around but maybe if we bring him over here he can get on the grant williams workout program to drop like 10 (or even 15) lbs, so he could be a little lighter on his feet
-At 8:20 mark. oh man, nice job taking the charge here
-14:25 nice job here sealing the defender off, which allows his teammate to drive to the basket for the and-1

It would actually be pretty fun to watch this guy try to mix it up in practice vs Rob and Al..

The passing is the most impressive thing. He looks comfortable finding cutters and spotting shooters. There is a level of IQ that I see in the passes he's making. Makes a good bounce pass when that's the only pass that will work. Add size, strength, and decent footwork. That's clay you can work with.

Exactly. That's what I'm seeing so far too - the passing ability for a big man is his best attribute.

[Half-Full]

At the beginning of this thread there were quite a few posts that considered Derrick White to be expendable. I wonder if some minds have been changed as the playoffs have progressed. He ain't going anywhere IMO. As far as ball handlers, I don't see that as a priority. Marcus and Derrick do a good job, and Payton is certainly capable of filling that role if needed. I see our biggest need as a back up center. Given our financial constraints, it will be interesting to see how the Celtics address this. I could see the Celtics putting together a trade package that included Theis, as Ime doesn't seem to love him. The question is who might he like better, and what would we have to give up? We don't have a lot of trade chips. I do think Pritchard has more value than some think, and feel he deserves more playing time than he has been getting. Perhaps a package of Pritchard and Theis? Maybe a pick? Of course, all depends on who is coming back. I would not like to see Payton go, as he is one of my favorites, but I do think there are teams out there that value what he brings, and who might be prepared to do a deal that includes him. For that reason, it wouldn't surprise me if Payton gets traded.

[neno]

Hartenstein or jaylen smith for big man
Delon Wright, gp3 or Cory Joseph defensive backup pg
Slo mo or tj warren back up wing
Is probably my best case scenario
Maybe 2nd unit of
Wright white warren Williams hartenstein

[Smart2Nesmith43]

At the beginning of this thread there were quite a few posts that considered Derrick White to be expendable. I wonder if some minds have been changed as the playoffs have progressed. He ain't going anywhere IMO. As far as ball handlers, I don't see that as a priority. Marcus and Derrick do a good job, and Payton is certainly capable of filling that role if needed. I see our biggest need as a back up center. Given our financial constraints, it will be interesting to see how the Celtics address this. I could see the Celtics putting together a trade package that included Theis, as Ime doesn't seem to love him. The question is who might he like better, and what would we have to give up? We don't have a lot of trade chips. I do think Pritchard has more value than some think, and feel he deserves more playing time than he has been getting. Perhaps a package of Pritchard and Theis? Maybe a pick? Of course, all depends on who is coming back. I would not like to see Payton go, as he is one of my favorites, but I do think there are teams out there that value what he brings, and who might be prepared to do a deal that includes him. For that reason, it wouldn't surprise me if Payton gets traded.

I don't see where the problem is at center. Robert Williams, Al Horford and Daniel Theis are more than enough to cover the position. I actually think Udoka likes Theis quite a bit. He's pretty much the only third string guy on any team that's getting semi consistent minutes in the playoffs. To be fair he is much, much better than your regular third string center but still, Udoka had plenty of opportunities to downsize and give more minutes to guys like Pritchard or White who are very good players and has often chosen to stay big and play Theis over them. That says something to the trust level he has in our favorite German player (sorry Schröder). In terms of ball handlers Smart, White and Pritchard are more than enough considering how much Tatum and Brown will have the ball in their hands anyway. So to me the main issue is wing depth. Whether it's through internal development (Nesmith ? Hauser ?) or through a ring chaser in free agency or less likely through the draft (a rookie isn't going to come in and play on a team this good) or a trade, the Celtics are going to need one or two two way wings to lighten up the load on Tatum and Brown in the regular season. Guys that might not be world beaters but can hold their own enough that they don't get picked on and the team doesn't fall apart everytime Tatum goes to the bench.

I do agree on your assessment of Pritchard. He is a proven high level shooter in shooting oriented league, making relative peanuts and with years of control. Guys like Fournier and Robinson might have more size but it's very debatable that they are actually better defenders and they get like 17 millions a year on the open market. That's a ton of excess value he's providing and I think the Celtics are very happy to have such a cheap contributor considering how expensive the rest of the roster is.