2019-2020 Roster Composition Wishlist (Non-Kyrie/ No-AD Edition)

[zoyathedestroya]

Ainge might still go after Kyrie, KD, AD, and whoever else in the offseason, but in the event he fails to get us a top shelf talent via trade, what type of players would you like to add to our current core? You can name names as long as they're reasonably available.

Assumed returning core: Horford, Hayward, Tatum, Brown, Smart, Williams, Ojeleye, Baynes

Here's my wishlist:
◾ Mobile big that can gobble up boards, protect the rim, and pass some; Either play alongside Horford or as 1st big off bench. Ideally, Cs can groom Robert III to be that guy.
◾ Defensive specialist that can slow down Giannis without much help. Does such a guy exist? Sadly, the Bucks are the new Cavs/Heat and the Greek Freak just took over Lebron's throne. They'll only get better and will be a stupid speedbump on our road to the Finals.
◾ Long-range sharpshooter that you can't leave open ala Redick, Danny Green, Klay, Ray Allen, etc. Someone who can run around screens and pull up upon catching. I actually wish Brown or Tatum can turn into this.
◾ 6'6" or above backup PG that won't be a defensive liability.
◾ Elite bench scorer. The corpse of Jamal Crawford need not apply. No to IT either.

Let all of them be selfless, team-first, gritty players. No more low BBIQ guys. No more dicks/divas.

P.S.
If your only comment would be "that team won't win anything blah blah blah," 'cos we won't have a top-5 talent anyway, this might not be the thread for you.

[La Flame]

Don't think we have any capspace even if Kyrie leaves but I wouldn't mind Cousins on a short deal

[cloverleaf]

I think WIlliams needs a year coming off the bench as the backup 5. But I redo Al's deal and then preserve his health and help Williams's development by moving Al from starting 5 to sixth-man backup 4. I bring in a defensive vet 5 who Rob can play behind for a year who also has his type of mobility and slow down Giannis in the paint while also guarding him out to the 3.

Both JT and JB should have their 3 honed for next season, but they are not your pure sharpshooters, as they can and should also play off their drives to the basket. Probably a vet brought in for that role. Smart's not that tall, but I have him penciled in at his old role as a 30-minute, defensive, backup PG. Again, may need to bring in a vet or two for reliable scoring off the bench. Mook would be a possibility in that role if he weren't set on cashing in this summer. Maybe two new vet bench scorers.

[djFan71]

I like all the OP ideas. I'd love to add Ed Davis in the exception. RoLo, maybe DAJ could fit as well, but DeAndre seems a long shot.

Smart, Jaylen, Tatum, Horford, Baynes
Hayward, Semi, Davis
Williams, picks, vet mins

Crazy talk time. I would explore getting a young stud big man with Tatum and Yabu/Semi salary as needed. Could that get you Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter, Jaren Jackson, Jonathan Isaac???? (Isaac probably has the least value, but his defensive mobility is crazy in the few games I've seen - could be the closest thing to covering Giannis\KD for a while. Might have to get 2020 pick back too or something)

In that case, you resign Rozier ($10-12M range) to make up for the lost scoring - let him gun in true 6th man fashion, don't try to run the offense. Maybe token start Baynes and bring Al off the bench, too, for facilitation purposes.

Smart, Jaylen, Hayward, <Isaac/Carter/Bagley>, Baynes
Terry, Horford, Davis, Semi (if not traded)
Williams, picks, vet mins

You basically give the offense scoring load to Jaylen, Hayward and Terry and hope for the best, but acquire that stud young big and balance the roster a little. Smart/Hayward/Al handle the playmaking. Everybody can play Celtic D. Need a shooter off the bench via draft or vet min.

[SmartWentCrazy]

Don't think we have any capspace even if Kyrie leave's but I wouldn't mind Cousins on a short deal

... I had the same thought. Ive long thought of him as a locker room destroyer, but I think he’d be on his best behavior after injuries derailed his career.

Were kind of the best situation for him to rehabilitate his career.

[SmartWentCrazy]

I want Semi Ojeleye to have a role on this team. I look at his skill set and I really feel that he could develop into a clone of PJ Tucker.

[mwhis21]

3pt specialist a la Eddie House. Nobody on the Celts would scare me from 3pt range. Percentages be damned.

[threrf23]

I want Semi Ojeleye to have a role on this team. I look at his skill set and I really feel that he could develop into a clone of PJ Tucker.

Closest thing out there to PJ Tucker is Bonzie Colson.

I like Semi but comparing him to PJ Tucker is like comparing Terry Rozier to Russ Westbrook. In theory he could develop into that clone, but the best predictor of the future is the past. Tucker has always been a hardnose player and an elite rebounded for his size and characteristics. Semi has been more the opposite.

[SmartWentCrazy]

I want Semi Ojeleye to have a role on this team. I look at his skill set and I really feel that he could develop into a clone of PJ Tucker.

Closest thing out there to PJ Tucker is Bonzie Colson.

I like Semi but comparing him to PJ Tucker is like comparing Terry Rozier to Russ Westbrook. In theory he could develop into that clone, but the best predictor of the future is the past. Tucker has always been a hardnose player and an elite rebounded for his size and characteristics. Semi has been more the opposite.

Meh, their rebound rates were 1.8% different this year, youre overselling the Russ-Terry comparison.

Moreover, of more concern to me, I’m referring to guys who can hit corner 3’s at an above average clip and feasibly switch and capably defend 3-5.

[VeryMuchWoke]

Ainge might still go after Kyrie, KD, AD, and whoever else in the offseason, but in the event he fails to get us a top shelf talent via trade, what type of players would you like to add to our current core? You can name names as long as they're reasonably available.

Assumed returning core: Horford, Hayward, Tatum, Brown, Smart, Williams, Ojeleye, Baynes

Good thread. My comments in Red.

Here's my wishlist:
◾ Mobile big that can gobble up boards, protect the rim, and pass some; Either play alongside Horford or as 1st big off bench. Ideally, Cs can groom Robert III to be that guy. Yeah, I think Robert is the guy. He should at least be given a shot before we bring someone in
◾ Defensive specialist that can slow down Giannis without much help. Does such a guy exist? Sadly, the Bucks are the new Cavs/Heat and the Greek Freak just took over Lebron's throne. They'll only get better and will be a stupid speedbump on our road to the Finals. Ugh, who can slow him down if not Horford? KD? AD? It has to be someone with a big time reputation so Giannis doesn't get to parade to the line over and over.
◾ Long-range sharpshooter that you can't leave open ala Redick, Danny Green, Klay, Ray Allen, etc. Someone who can run around screens and pull up upon catching. I actually wish Brown or Tatum can turn into this. Seth Curry? He would fit well with Hayward since Hayward can run the offense. I believe he has a player option for next year, but will probably want to stay put in Portland
◾ 6'6" or above backup PG that won't be a defensive liability. Delon Wright is an RFA. Not a lot of guys fit this mold.
◾ Elite bench scorer. The corpse of Jamal Crawford need not apply. No to IT either. I disagree here. Just stagger Jayson/Jaylen/Hayward. Our problem this year was guys not getting enough shots.

Let all of them be selfless, team-first, gritty players. No more low BBIQ guys. No more dicks/divas.

P.S.
If your only comment would be "that team won't win anything blah blah blah," 'cos we won't have a top-5 talent anyway, this might not be the thread for you.

[Parliament10]

Read on Twitter

The Article is pretty informative.
Check it out.

[The Corey's]

Please God give us a defensive minded center who can beat on the boards. That's literally all I want.

[soxfan2003]

I haven't thought about it too much but this is just one idea.... Upgrade the bench with some players that have serious potential but have started off their careers on the wrong foot but still have relatively good attitudes. I trust Ainge to hopefully figure that out.

And the sacrifice I would be willing to make to try to increase this teams chances at contending for a title without AD from close to 0% to something decent is.

Trade Jaylen Brown who I know has had 2 good post seasons in a row and picks for a player pretty darn close to a younger Draymond Green and also bring in the closest Danny Ainge clone when Ainge was around 27-28. With regards to Ainge clone, since most NBA players are African American, the player could for sure be African American but I am really talking a very good 3 point shooting combo guard that may not be overly physical/strong but plays with fire. Celtics didn't play with enough fire this year in the playoffs. Yes, Bucks more talented and would have won if Celtics played harder but I think its a fair criticism to say the team didn't give a great effort.

This is what it would take I think to give the Horford/Hayward/Tatum/Smart nucleus a reasonable outside shot to win it all. Celtics certainly not favored but they would have a shot.

4 Draymond Greens on a team in a teams rotation would be an epic disaster but when a team has a good deal of scoring and needs toughness/passing, he can contribute for sure.

Tatum may get stronger but I doubt he will ever be as strong as Pierce so that is why someone like Green or a center is really needed.

So lineup.
Smart
Ainge clone
Tatum or Hayward
Green
Horford

upgraded bench

[Elrod is Back]

If Kyrie leaves, I think the Cs go into rebuild mode. By rebuild mode I mean the Cs recognize they cannot be a legitimate contender until they get a player who is a top 10 player in the league. Just look at the best players on the 7 remaining teams and your probably have 7 of the top 9 vote-getters for MVP this year, and the top 5 overall. I like Tatum and think he will have a long career, but he is not going to be a top 10 player. That is no crime. Paul Pierce was not a top-10 player and we all adore him and admire his storied career.

So what does a rebuild mean? It means not signing guys like Morris or Rozier to long-term deals. (One year deals are OK.) That just clogs up you payroll and the one thing you really want to do is create capspace for 2020 or 2021 or 2022.

It means you identify the guys on your roster who might be rotation players or starters in three years and be important pieces in the team that emerges to contend. On the current Cs, that means Tatum, Brown and Smart for certain, and possibly Williams. I would probably take a flyer on Theis, assuming we could get him for cheap, but he will never be more than a back-up 4.

I'd bring back Yabusele and Ojeleye next year, but they will be off the payroll after the 19-20 season unless they show progress. At any rate they will be low-salary guys if they stay. I'd probably sign Wanamaker and Dozier to 2 or 3 year deals with unguaranteed money after the first year.

Hayward you keep because you have nothing to lose and he just turned 29. He has 2 more years on his deal, and if he really sucks in 19-20, you can waive and extend him next summer if you need capspace to sign a max guy. Otherwise, let his contract run its course. Who knows, maybe he has a career year next season when he returns to the starting line-up.

Horford is a bit trickier. If Kyrie returned and we traded for AD, giving Al a new 5 year deal right now would make sense. But in rebuild mode capspace is of crucial importance--it is the very best chance the Cs will have to score a superstar--so tying up $15 million for Al as he is in his mid to late 30s makes no sense.

So if Al opts out this summer let him walk. If he stays consider trading him, or just let him play out the final year of the deal. Ny guess he stays because $30 million is a lot more than anyone else will pay him.

But rebuild is different from tanking. Tanking means going at least half-Hinkie and trying to get as many lottery balls as possible. I can't see Danny or Brad doing that with the foundation we have on this roster. I think they will want to make the playoffs, but not sacrifice the chance to get a superstar through free agency by having a bunch of mediocre dudes (e.g. Morris, Rozier) on the payroll.

Finally, Baynes has an option for one more season, If he decides to walk, fine. If he stays, fine. If he does stay I might look to trade him if I can get a 2nd round pick for him. Count him gone.

So where does that leave the roster before the draft and free agency?
1--Smart...Wanamaker
2--Brown...Dozier
3--Hayward...Ojeleye
4--Tatum...Theis...Yabusele
5--Horford...Williams

That is 11 guys. We will have 3 (and possibly 4) first rounders. I assume our 2nd rounder will become a 2-way player. Let's assume 3 first rounders and they all make the team

That leaves one more slot on the roster.The Cs are rumored to be interested in Vincent Poirier, a 25 year-old 7-0 center who is arguably the best center in Europe. His game is rebounding and defense and extreme hustle. Not a shot creator or scorer except for stuff around the hoop. I could see the Cs signing Poirier to a three or four year deal at a reasonable price.

That is a team that could go 47-35 and get the 6th seed assuming guys are healthy. This is a group that Brad could coach and not have to play amateur shrink.

1--Smart...Wanamaker...R first rounder
2--Brown...Dozier...R first rounder
3--Hayward...Ojeleye ...R first rounder
4--Tatum...Theis...Yabusele
5--Horford...Williams....Poirier

I suspect several of these bench guys would be released after the 19-20 season, creating openings for new players.

And in the summer of 2020, even if we sign Jaylen to a long-term deal starting at $20 million (and I hope he is good enough to warrant this), we should be in a position to sign a better-than-MLE level free agent. And we could maneuver to get close to a max contract guy if someone spectacular became available and interested.

And we will likely have two no. 1 picks in 2020. If the Memphis pick conveys it will likely be a lottery pick. If not, it will be unprotected in 2021.

If all goes well, the young guys get better, a lot better. Danny scores big with one of the three no. 1 picks this year, we get a lotto pick courtesy of Memphis, and we get a killer max contract free agent by 2021 or 2022 at the latest.

[Celtics_History_Lesson]

◾ Mobile big that can gobble up boards, protect the rim, and pass some; Either play alongside Horford or as 1st big off bench.





◾ Defensive specialist that can slow down Giannis without much help.





◾ Long-range sharpshooter that you can't leave open ala Redick, Danny Green, Klay, Ray Allen, etc.





◾ 6'6" or above backup PG that won't be a defensive liability.





◾ Elite bench scorer. The corpse of Jamal Crawford need not apply. No to IT either.





Picks, trades, signings, should be able to find players that address these holes. Then again, the idiot son is in charge of finding players.

Robert Williams is an elite shotblocker, and with Baynes the best rebounder Boston has. One solver of problems is already here.

A more mobile, but long, defender? Nerlens Noel?

Draft has shooters, Tillie, Jerome, Herro, Admiral, C Johnson who has already visited the Celtics and is NBA-ready. All are free agents, Redick, Danny Green, Klay, but very unlikely for Boston. Very, very unlikely. Mario Hezonja? Bender? Wayne Ellington?

Tall point guard? 6-6? Not many of those around. Rondo, tad shorter. Michael Carter-Williams, but he is another M Smart and Boston has one of those.

Bench scorer? Jake Layman? Rui, Carsen Edwards? Bojan Bogdanovic, but Pacers can pay a lot more.

[NYCelticsfan136]

Frankly i wanna rebuild.

[e001]

- Let Mook, Rozier and Theis walk;
- If Horford leaves, bring Theis back on a cheap contract;
- Draft Carsen Edwards, Coby White (if the Memphis pick convey) and Diakite, don't really know who else would contribute.
- Trade Hayward for the sake of both parties.

Edwards/Smart
Jaylen/White
Tatum/Ojeleye
Horford/Diakite
Baynes/Williams

[darylbe]

I think WIlliams needs a year coming off the bench as the backup 5. But I redo Al's deal and then preserve his health and help Williams's development by moving Al from starting 5 to sixth-man backup 4. I bring in a defensive vet 5 who Rob can play behind for a year who also has his type of mobility and slow down Giannis in the paint while also guarding him out to the 3.

Both JT and JB should have their 3 honed for next season, but they are not your pure sharpshooters, as they can and should also play off their drives to the basket. Probably a vet brought in for that role. Smart's not that tall, but I have him penciled in at his old role as a 30-minute, defensive, backup PG. Again, may need to bring in a vet or two for reliable scoring off the bench. Mook would be a possibility in that role if he weren't set on cashing in this summer. Maybe two new vet bench scorers.

Redoing Al's contract and KI leaving will give us about... 30 M next year for a starting center, a starting point guard, and like 6 more players.

****.

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[Ed Pinkney]

I wouldn't mind seeing if they could pry one of Sabonis or Turner away from the Pacers. Surely Sabonis doesn't want to keep being a sixth man, and I don't think the Pacers can play them both together long term.

[Darthlukey]

I wouldn't mind seeing if they could pry one of Sabonis or Turner away from the Pacers. Surely Sabonis doesn't want to keep being a sixth man, and I don't think the Pacers can play them both together long term.

I like turner and I think he could fit our system well and he doesn't need a lot of shots. But Indiana like him, what would you send to pacers for him?