Trade/Free Agency Thread 2023-24, part 12 is my favorite thread. Out of a dozen...

[steefP2]

When did we sign this guy?

Kylor Kelley C

Current Team: Boston Celtics

Born: Aug 26, 1997 (26 years old)

Birthplace/Hometown: Gervais, Oregon

Nationality: United States

Height: 7-0 (213cm) Weight: 215 (98kg)

Just now;

Read on Twitter

Almost certainly a deal with the aim to get him to the maine Celtics

[ConstableGeneva]

When did we sign this guy?

Kylor Kelley C

Current Team: Boston Celtics

Born: Aug 26, 1997 (26 years old)

Birthplace/Hometown: Gervais, Oregon

Nationality: United States

Height: 7-0 (213cm) Weight: 215 (98kg)

Just now;

Read on Twitter

Almost certainly a deal with the aim to get him to the maine Celtics

Yep, looks like it.

Read on Twitter

[Triple7]

When did we sign this guy?

Kylor Kelley C

Current Team: Boston Celtics

Born: Aug 26, 1997 (26 years old)

Birthplace/Hometown: Gervais, Oregon

Nationality: United States

Height: 7-0 (213cm) Weight: 215 (98kg)

Just now;

Read on Twitter

Almost certainly a deal with the aim to get him to the maine Celtics

A 7ft skin and bones lol.

[snowman]

I saw that we had signed him last night but couldn't find who until this morning.

[ConstableGeneva]

Some of the pundits are talking about how it will take some time for the Celtics to jell because of the new additions of KP and Jrue. Probably, probably not. But it wasn't long ago when Ainge also dismantled an EC finalist and replaced 80% of its starting five, leaving Horford as the only holdover of the starting unit.

We retained just FOUR guys -- Smart, Horford, Brown, Rozier -- from the 2017 roster when we added Kyrie and Hayward. Team went on to win 16 straight (w/o Hayward) after losing their first two games in 2017-18. There's less turnover this offseason -- retained Horford, Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, Hauser, Kornet, and Davison.

[165bows]

Some of the pundits are talking about how it will take some time for the Celtics to jell because of the new additions of KP and Jrue. Probably, probably not. But it wasn't long ago when Ainge also dismantled an EC finalist and replaced 80% of its starting five, leaving Horford as the only holdover of the starting unit.

We retained just FOUR guys -- Smart, Horford, Brown, Rozier -- from the 2017 roster when we added Kyrie and Hayward. Team went on to win 16 straight (w/o Hayward) after losing their first two games in 2017-18. There's less turnover this offseason -- retained Horford, Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, Hauser, Kornet, and Davison.

'08 is the obvious example there of journos saying how long they would need to gel and being general debbie downers, and the team was flat out dominant from day one. I think another one better though is last year, when they threw a brand new coach in the mix, added Brogdon, found out late Rob couldn't play, and then the team looked like vintage GS Warriors for two months with the whole team shooting like 45% from three.

[Hal14]

Yeah, the Cs have until the trade deadline to get a 3rd big.

No need to rush.

Give Gabriel and Queta a chance.

We need a really wide bodied center to clog the paint,
get those rebounds, and just body up giannis and embiid inside. Drummond or cousins? Cousins has the attitude to punk embiid though. Not sure if he’s healthy enough to play.

Drummond isn't available, Cousins is washed, is out of the league.

Queta might surprise some people:

Read on Twitter

Also, I know that the common thing that lots of people say is we need a really wide bodied center to clog up the paint to body up Giannis and Embiid inside. But...

a) Giannis often times has the ball at the top of the key or the high post or the elbows, faces up and attacks from there. Same thing with Embiid - he's usually out on the perimeter, either shoots from 3, or (more frequently) will live in the mid range, around the elbows where he'll face up from the elbows/high post area and try to take his man off the bounce.

Or Giannis/Embiid/Jokic will be out there setting a high screen for the guard.

They do this stuff further away from the basket a lot - rather than posting up on the low block like bigs used to do in 1995. The NBA now is much more about spacing the floor, not having a big man clogging up the paint, push the pace, shoot 3's, etc. Those old school bigs who clog up the paint like Whiteside, Tristan Thompson, Deandre Jordan, Dwight Howard, Cousins. They get played off the floor when they have to defend further away from the basket.

It's less about getting a big wide body to clog up the paint and more about having a big who has quick enough feet to slide laterally and stay in front of Giannis/Embiid when they attack from the elbows, and be able to slide their feet, contain the PnR when the big sets a high screen.

Al has been effective at defending Giannis/Embiid because he has a nice combination of size + quickness + defensive technique/IQ. He has size, but he's certainly not the biggest center in the league, at about 6'9", 240 lbs. If he was much bigger than that. he'd probably be too slow to stay in front of these guys when they attack from further away from the basket. Like Dwight or Cousins or Drummond would get cooked if they try to slide their feet and stay in front of Giannis.

Grant has the muscle/strength to body those guys. While having the foot speed to usually do a decent enough job of staying in front of them. He's gone now but Lamar is here - who is actually a little bit quicker and more athletic than Grant. Lamar has had good success defending Giannis.

[steefP2]

Anyway, you know what's the best way to make depth pieces look good ? pairing them with 1-4 all star caliber players every minute they are on the court.

[ConstableGeneva]

Read on Twitter

[ConstableGeneva]

Anyway, you know what's the best way to make depth pieces look good ? pairing them with 1-4 all star caliber players every minute they are on the court.

[Hal14]

Read on Twitter

Makes sense. They needed a shooter badly. Now they can just waive KPJ..

Houston will be an interesting team to watch this season. It wouldn't shock me if they make the play-in.

C Sengun
F Jabari
SF Brooks
SG Green
PG VanVleet

Bench: Eason, Amen, Jeff Green, Bullock, Whitmore, Londale

Not bad

[Larry_Russell]

I am actually not concerned about Center at all.

Have a slight concern for a big forward, have a larger concern for a backup guard with size. Right now it looks like Pritchard, Banton, SVI and Walsh are the backup rotation of guards and that does not excite me.

Points
Jure
Pritchard
Banton
Davidson (2wp)

Guards
White
Svi
Walsh
Scrubb (2wp)

Forwards
Brown
Stevens
Hauser

Power Forwards
Tatum
Brissett
Gabriel

Centers
Porzingis
Horford
Kornet
Queta (2wp)

Walsh is a rookie, SVI is a cast off, Pritchard is undersized and banton is a scrub.

Really need to look to add there.

[steefP2]

I am actually not concerned about Center at all.

Have a slight concern for a big forward, have a larger concern for a backup guard with size. Right now it looks like Pritchard, Banton, SVI and Walsh are the backup rotation of guards and that does not excite me.

Points
Jure
Pritchard
Banton
Davidson (2wp)

Guards
White
Svi
Walsh
Scrubb (2wp)

Forwards
Brown
Stevens
Hauser

Power Forwards
Tatum
Brissett
Gabriel

Centers
Porzingis
Horford
Kornet
Queta (2wp)

Walsh is a rookie, SVI is a cast off, Pritchard is undersized and banton is a scrub.

Really need to look to add there.

I think Stevens can play some 4 too. He's built like semi but with longer arms, slightly taller. Ofc not offensive game whatsoever but with horford/KP at center he can just play the dunker spot offensively and rebound. He's got real beef. Same with Wenyen.

[Larry_Russell]

I am actually not concerned about Center at all.

Have a slight concern for a big forward, have a larger concern for a backup guard with size. Right now it looks like Pritchard, Banton, SVI and Walsh are the backup rotation of guards and that does not excite me.

Points
Jure
Pritchard
Banton
Davidson (2wp)

Guards
White
Svi
Walsh
Scrubb (2wp)

Forwards
Brown
Stevens
Hauser

Power Forwards
Tatum
Brissett
Gabriel

Centers
Porzingis
Horford
Kornet
Queta (2wp)

Walsh is a rookie, SVI is a cast off, Pritchard is undersized and banton is a scrub.

Really need to look to add there.

I think Stevens can play some 4 too. He's built like semi but with longer arms, slightly taller. Ofc not offensive game whatsoever but with horford/KP at center he can just play the dunker spot offensively and rebound. He's got real beef. Same with Wenyen.

I agree. I think most of the forwards are interchangeable with each other. Even hauser can play some PF as a spacer.

But Gabriel and Stevens are our defense from the PF/SF spot. This is who Giannis, Lebron, Durant will be facing primarily I think.
And I like that a lot.

In the combine 3 years ago Stevens was 230lbs, 6foot7 with a 6foot9 wingspan. That is a very solid dude

Gabriel 6foot 9 with a 6foot11 wingspan. IMO, very Timelord like ability here. Not sure if PF is the right position for him as he might be better as a smaller center?

[steefP2]

I am actually not concerned about Center at all.

Have a slight concern for a big forward, have a larger concern for a backup guard with size. Right now it looks like Pritchard, Banton, SVI and Walsh are the backup rotation of guards and that does not excite me.

Points
Jure
Pritchard
Banton
Davidson (2wp)

Guards
White
Svi
Walsh
Scrubb (2wp)

Forwards
Brown
Stevens
Hauser

Power Forwards
Tatum
Brissett
Gabriel

Centers
Porzingis
Horford
Kornet
Queta (2wp)

Walsh is a rookie, SVI is a cast off, Pritchard is undersized and banton is a scrub.

Really need to look to add there.

I think Stevens can play some 4 too. He's built like semi but with longer arms, slightly taller. Ofc not offensive game whatsoever but with horford/KP at center he can just play the dunker spot offensively and rebound. He's got real beef. Same with Wenyen.

I agree. I think most of the forwards are interchangeable with each other. Even hauser can play some PF as a spacer.

But Gabriel and Stevens are our defense from the PF/SF spot. This is who Giannis, Lebron, Durant will be facing primarily I think.
And I like that a lot.

In the combine 3 years ago Stevens was 230lbs, 6foot7 with a 6foot9 wingspan. That is a very solid dude

Gabriel 6foot 9 with a 6foot11 wingspan. IMO, very Timelord like ability here. Not sure if PF is the right position for him as he might be better as a smaller center?

I think with our center rotation, wenyen makes sense as a 4. He doesn’t really space but he’s very fluid running and can handle some. Shooting ability is our surplus skill on the roster so we can easily fit in non spacers in non traditional positions. I think he can switch as well as play small center. Think a worse Vanderbilt. Very much same archetype

[165bows]

I am actually not concerned about Center at all.

Have a slight concern for a big forward, have a larger concern for a backup guard with size. Right now it looks like Pritchard, Banton, SVI and Walsh are the backup rotation of guards and that does not excite me.

Points
Jure
Pritchard
Banton
Davidson (2wp)

Guards
White
Svi
Walsh
Scrubb (2wp)

Forwards
Brown
Stevens
Hauser

Power Forwards
Tatum
Brissett
Gabriel

Centers
Porzingis
Horford
Kornet
Queta (2wp)

Walsh is a rookie, SVI is a cast off, Pritchard is undersized and banton is a scrub.

Really need to look to add there.

I think Stevens can play some 4 too. He's built like semi but with longer arms, slightly taller. Ofc not offensive game whatsoever but with horford/KP at center he can just play the dunker spot offensively and rebound. He's got real beef. Same with Wenyen.

Yeah I really like the set up they have at this point - highly skilled versatile C then it's easier to just plug in an athletic, mobile dunking four. A lot of these athletic dunking fives are more limited on the perimeter so this solves that issue a bit by having the dunker guy also quick enough to guard wings.

[steefP2]

I am actually not concerned about Center at all.

Have a slight concern for a big forward, have a larger concern for a backup guard with size. Right now it looks like Pritchard, Banton, SVI and Walsh are the backup rotation of guards and that does not excite me.

Points
Jure
Pritchard
Banton
Davidson (2wp)

Guards
White
Svi
Walsh
Scrubb (2wp)

Forwards
Brown
Stevens
Hauser

Power Forwards
Tatum
Brissett
Gabriel

Centers
Porzingis
Horford
Kornet
Queta (2wp)

Walsh is a rookie, SVI is a cast off, Pritchard is undersized and banton is a scrub.

Really need to look to add there.

I think Stevens can play some 4 too. He's built like semi but with longer arms, slightly taller. Ofc not offensive game whatsoever but with horford/KP at center he can just play the dunker spot offensively and rebound. He's got real beef. Same with Wenyen.

Yeah I really like the set up they have at this point - highly skilled versatile C then it's easier to just plug in an athletic, mobile dunking four. A lot of these athletic dunking fives are more limited on the perimeter so this solves that issue a bit by having the dunker guy also quick enough to guard wings.

Agreed and you can get them for cheap since they’re so hard to fit in on other teams so there’s a relative surplus of them

[CelticsPride18]

Brad will get our 7th or 8th guy at the deadline

[Celts17Pride]

Read on Twitter

That's too bad, Bullock was penciled in as the Celtics starting two guard. It's a shame.

[shackles10]

Some of the pundits are talking about how it will take some time for the Celtics to jell because of the new additions of KP and Jrue. Probably, probably not. But it wasn't long ago when Ainge also dismantled an EC finalist and replaced 80% of its starting five, leaving Horford as the only holdover of the starting unit.

We retained just FOUR guys -- Smart, Horford, Brown, Rozier -- from the 2017 roster when we added Kyrie and Hayward. Team went on to win 16 straight (w/o Hayward) after losing their first two games in 2017-18. There's less turnover this offseason -- retained Horford, Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, Hauser, Kornet, and Davison.

Ah yes, the "suck my **** " Celtics of early 2017.