flintsky21 wrote:JB for KAT is a definite upgrade. KAT is a much better shooter (arguably the best shooting big in the NBA today), much better playmaker (averaged close to 5 assists last year), and much better rebounder (filling a huge need for this team). He also gives you the type of post presence that Tatum has never ever had in his entire career. And while JB is seen as a redundancy with Tatum, KAT becomes a significant upgrade in a weaker position. You're giving up something on defense but all the stuff he brings on offense (and the rebounding) hopefully more than makes up for it. If Denver and Sacramento can be above average defensive teams with Jokic and Sabonis in the middle, there's no reason the Celtics can't make it work with a guy like Towns.
JB's value is probably not gonna get higher coming of an All-NBA, All-Star season. I bet most of those who voted him to be 2nd team All-NBA are already having voter's remorse after seeing him in the playoffs, and he's only gonna continue to be exposed from hereon out for what every Celtics fan has always know about him as a player --- a high usage scorer with below average handles and tunnel vision. At least there are still teams that are enamored by the accolades and reputation for now, and while I'm on the "take what you can for JB" camp, you can do a lot worse than swapping him for KAT.
And I don't buy the notion that we have to seek out the "perfect" big for the Celtics system, which is a rim-protecting, switchable stretch big, and that until we can find one, we're going to ride with Horford. Al averaged 6.7 points on 29% 3pt shooting in 30 mpg in the playoffs. The Heat couldn't even be bothered to guard him. If he's still our main big on opening night, I'm literally gonna throw up.
And there's Rob, who at 25 still seemingly continues to live off his "potential." We've been holding onto the "if he's healthy, he can be one of the absolute best bigs in the league" narrative for the last 3 years. And there's the fact that I don't think Joe trusts him enough to be a 30 mpg center. Heck he isn't even finishing games where Horford was 1-7 from the field.
We can talk about everything we'd be giving up defensively with KAT, but it's not like we're shutting teams down with Al and Rob anyway. At this point, swapping JB for any other 20 ppg scorer that doesn't turn the ball over nearly as much is already an upgrade.
I was about to post something snippy about how "this board would **** itself if we traded for KAT and then learned what KAT actually plays like" -- and then I read your post and +1'd it, so **** me, I don't know.
I think now is a great time to trade JB if someone's willing to bite on him pre-extension. I don't know that they will, but in light of the new CBA it feels like there could be shuffling league-wide to *avoid* supermax deals. That said, it looks to me like KAT and Jaylen are in similar contract situations -- one more year upcoming, then supermax if they remain with the teams that drafted them, and a bit less if they are dealt.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/karl-anthony-towns-17829/My 'play' has been Jaylen for Siakam, but I have to admit that KAT has better advanced #s than Pascal, both in career aggregate and (my preference) in recent seasons
https://stathead.com/basketball/versus-finder.cgi?player_id2=siakapa01&player_id1=townska01&request=1&utm_campaign=2023_01_wdgt_player_comparison&utm_source=bbr&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_id=townska01Siakam plays the way, right now, I would like for the Celtics. Bring him in tomorrow and I would be hyped.
Anthony Towns is a huge ball of clay which would need some sculpting. But the upside is there.
KAT has a career 12.7% TO rate compared to Jaylen's 12.5%, and in the playoffs JB is at 12.3% (14.2% this year) and KAT is at -- holy **** -- 18.3%, including 17.9% this year lolololol (Siakam is 11.1% RS career and 8.6% playoffs career).
Paul Pierce appreciation society.