The roster is pretty much set, might be better...

[campybatman]

Boston could use a veteran backup point guard and center, but the roster is pretty much set. Ideally, Garnett is healthy and ready to resume a full season, Pierce and Ray feel refresh, and the bench is able to contribute consistently.

It isn't out of the realm of possibility that the roster will look like what I've below come the regular season. The Davis situation needs to be resolved, either move on or you've him for at least one more season. I believed Tony would need to go with having Daniels. And I wouldn't be surprised if Swift were to be the third center.

Agree, or disagree? Who would you take out, replace with?


2007-2008

Pierce
Garnett
R. Allen
Rondo (first season as full-time starter)
Perkins
Posey
House
Powe
T. Allen
G. Davis (rookie)
Scalabrine
Cassell (buyout agreement; signed during second half of season)
PJ Brown (free agent; signed during second half of season)
Pruitt (rookie)
Pollard (eventually, out-for-the-season)

2008-2009

Pierce
Garnett (eventually, out-for-the-season)
R. Allen
Rondo
Perkins
House
Powe
G. Davis
T. Allen
Scalabrine
Moore (waived; signed during second half of season)
Marbury (buyout agreement; signed during second half of season)
Pruitt
Walker (rookie)
Giddens (rookie)

2009-2010

Pierce
Garnett
R. Allen
Rondo
Perkins
House
R. Wallace
Daniels (pending)
G. Davis (pending)
T. Allen
Scalabrine
Walker
Giddens
Hudson (rookie; unsigned)
Swift (pending)

[GuyClinch]

The roster is not at all set yet. What are you talking about?

[BRUNiNHO91]

The roster is not at all set yet. What are you talking about?

It's like 90% set man...all we need to know now is when Daniels arrives, will Baby be back, and who back's up Rondo...

[return2glory]

The roster is about 80% set. BBD is the key at this point. Having 3 very good bigs is not enough if there are any injuries. We need BBD since there are no our decent bigs left other than Joe Smith.

The Wallace and Daniels signings help our bench alot. I'm hoping Hudson makes the team and that we resogn BBD. Also I want to give Swift a decent look. He sucked in SL but he was out of game shape. I want to see what he can do when he's in shape.

[campybatman]

It's like 90% set man...all we need to know now is when Daniels arrives, will Baby be back, and who back's up Rondo...

It's "all set" in the sense that Ainge's options are laid out in front of him. I don't see anymore options presenting themselves. Granted, that's my opinion.

The free agent options are dramatically shrinking, Davis needs to be traded to another team via a sign-and-trade or signed to a qualifying offer, Tony likely must be traded or bought out, and the signing of a backup point guard is a necessity. Daniels probably will end up with Boston either via a sign-and-trade, or signed to the Bi-annual exception. Both Walker and Giddens provide inexpensive depth and insurance in case of an injury at their positions, or could help to facilitate a multiple player trade.

Moreover, Ainge has the choice to sign or not sign second round pick Hudson. He has four expiring contracts after next season in players R. Allen, House, Scalabrine and T. Allen. While a decision on Rondo will eventually be made to sign him (or not) to a contract extension for an undetermined salary.

Pruitt was waived... And Powe might as well sign elsewhere. Swift, young and supposedly healthy, offers Ainge another cheap option to add depth behind Perkins and Wallace. Or Joe Smith and Petro are still available.

[chas0x01]

Assuming the Daniels trade goes through for Walker and TA, and BBD is either signed and kept or traded, we pretty much have 95% of the regular rotation. All we'd be looking at now are small parts - a vet injury insurance PG, and an auxiliary big, and maybe a deep 3.
Major minutes at the 1,2 and 3; Rondo, RA, PP, House, MD. With the backup PG, Giddens and Scal getting minor minutes. Major minutes at the 4 and 5; KG, Perks, Sheed. With BBD or ?Yi whoever getting minor minutes. Hudson, deep 3, and auxiliary big would be 13th, 14th, and 15th man on the roster. I'd pickup Bowen just to milk his brain. Make Giddens his special project.

[Al-Haqq]

Swift is playing for the Bucks.

[campybatman]

I think Bowen will ultimately decide to retire, he has won three championships with San Antonio, and I don't think he'll be missed by some players in the league that he has peeved, inflicted harm or helped to injury. And he's thirty-eight. No thanks.

But if the thirty-six Ollie can get signed... A contending team could persuade Bowen to sign with a tempting contract offer. Hopefully, Boston isn't that team.

[Al-Haqq]

Why not bring back Wally??

He can hit a 3 and is a great locker room guy. Played with the Celtics before ....

[GuyClinch]

Since two guys your writing into the roster who will both be in our proposed rotation are unsigned its NOT set. We don't know if other players will be moved with them or if they will actually be on the team at all. We know Danny has not signed a backup point yet. I suppose we could be more "unset" but we are really far from set. Your just being impatient.

We know Doc Rivers - and he likes the concept of a "second unit" so.. We know House and Rasheed Wallace will be on that unit. Will it be (unknown PG)/House/Daniels/Wallace/BBD? Perhaps. We just don't know. As Daniels, the PG, and BBD are UNSIGNED!

Pete

[Jammer]

Gotta go with Pete on this one.

Until Daniels actually gets here, that's a big hole. He's the first wing off the bench, and
effectively could end up backing up Pierce and Ray Allen, with Eddie House getting
the minutes Rajon is off the floor.

That makes Daniels effectively worth 2 bench players.

And Glen Davis as 4th Big is still up in the air.

It's more like:

Position *** Starter ************** Backup *********** Active 12 ********** Inactive Lux Tax Sucker
Center **** Perkins ************* Rasheed ********** Job Available
PF ********** KG ****************** Big Baby ??? ********** ********************* Scalabrine
SF ********** Pierce ************** Daniels ??? ********************************** Billy Walker
SG ********** Ray Allen ********** Daniels ??? ********** Giddens ************ Tony Allen
PG ********** Rajon ************** Eddie ************* Job Available

[Jammer]

The most logical sign and trade that I can see, for Marquis Daniels,

is to send Tony Allen to Memphis,

and Billy Walker to Indiana.

Indiana gets a SF to play behind Danny Granger until Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
returns to the team in possibly February;

and Memphis gets a true SG who can defend.

All Memphis has right now at guard are
OJ Mayo, Mike Conley, Jr. and Marcus Williams;

although Marco Jaric is considered by some a guard/forward.
Let's face it, Jaric is too slow to defend any guard;
he's just a perimeter shooting SF.

[theman]

The starting five is set:
Perkins
Garnett
Pierce
Allen
Rondo

Top three backups "pretty much set":
Wallace (top big)
House (point)
Daniels (G/F - although deal is being finalized)

Then things get a little more uncertain:
Davis (second big if retained which will probably happen)
Scalabrine (third big)
Powe (fourth big - if healthy)

T. Allen (second G/F)
Walker (third G/F)
Giddens (fourth G/F)

Hudson (Third point ????)

And that is 15 players.

No huge change is coming. Work out the Daniels deal, sign Baby and Powe and either sign Hudson or an other third string point. Seven of the top eight are signed and the eighth is coming.

[campybatman]

If the Davis and Daniels situations are soon to be resolved. That leaves the need to address a backup point guard. Ideally, a defensive minded small forward can be added as well. This could allow Daniels to play more minutes as a shooting guard. Subsequently, that would have House playing more at point guard which isn't ideal. Presumingly, Tony will play less unless Ainge decides to showcase him.

The best option at point guard are probably Jason Williams, Anthony Carter, Lue or Tinsley. While at small forward, ideal but unlikely options could be Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Rasual Butler, Balkman and Outlaw. In free agency, there's Carney and Joey Graham.

[campybatman]

Conversely, I see it differently than Ainge on this point. House is the last guard on the roster I would like to see playing minutes at point guard, he's better receiving the ball from a point guard. So I prefer not to leave that responsibility in the hands of an off guard who has a scorer's mentality. Ditto for Tony.

If I read between the lines, it sounds as if Ainge is content with who he sees handling the ball if not Rondo. Therefore, it could be inferred that Ainge will wait instead for the period before the trading deadline with possible better options than what's presently available at point guard in this off-season. Makes sense assuming that you don't overplay Rondo. Pierce plays too many minutes and Ray's been playing too many minutes since he'd became a Celtic. All three of these players need capable backups at this point in their careers. On that point, I'm speaking specifically of Pierce and Ray.

Ainge said it is not set in stone that the remaining roster spot will go to a point guard, even though the Celtics only have one pure point guard on the team in Rondo.

"I’m not feeling a great urgency, because I think that both Eddie [House] and Marquis can play there, and even Tony [Allen],” Ainge said. “We won a game [in December 2007] by 20 points against the Lakers with Tony starting at point guard, so it’s not an urgent thing that we are trying to do right now."

http://www.projo.com/celtics/content/sp ... 7e550.html