CelticsStrong

Celtics Basketball => Celtics Talk => Topic started by: Jeff on January 28, 2013, 12:03:33 PM

Title: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: Jeff on January 28, 2013, 12:03:33 PM
assuming (as I do) that we'll play out the year and NOT trade Pierce or KG and they both retire at the end of the year...

ignoring for a moment the cap implications, that leaves us with the following roster

temporary starters

Bradley
Lee
Green
Sullinger
umm, Bass?

other:
Rondo (back mid year?)
Terry (doesn't make sense going forward - trade? buy-out?)
Fab (probably still in Maine)
draft pick (low lottery to mid teens)

as much as I love Sully and Bradley, that's a lottery roster

of course you can't take it in a vacuum like that - there will be some moves and free agent pickups

but still, someone get me some comfort food and hold me tight, I'm gonna miss my binkys when they are gone
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: pearljammer10 on January 28, 2013, 12:04:54 PM
Yeah that aint looking to promising. Esepcially considering we STILL wouldnt have a middle man.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: Who on January 28, 2013, 12:05:23 PM
Too old to compete is my fear.

Edit: Sorry, replied before reading. Without KG and Pierce, I would say they could be a .500 team with some veteran role player big men arriving with the MLE and/or veteran's minimum. So a team competing for a low playoff seed.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: theswitch on January 28, 2013, 12:08:01 PM
Yeah, I mentioned this elsewhere. Not only is that team terrible, but it is riddled with bad contracts. Green and Lee, fine - I can naively cling onto hope that they'll produce as starters. Bass and Terry? We need to find a way to get rid of those two. Otherwise it's the same lineup not just next year - this is the lineup for the next 2-3 years. Gross.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: Fafnir on January 28, 2013, 12:08:07 PM
I think Melo gets a shot at playing 10-15 MPG next year.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: sofutomygaha on January 28, 2013, 12:10:58 PM
The Celtics would surely add one or more of the free agent bigs class that includes Millsap, West, Smith, Mozgov, Okafor, Pekovic, and Bynum. They wouldn't go to war with that starting five, even in a rebuilding year. It also wouldn't surprise me to see Corey Brewer slotted ahead of Green in this post-apocalyptic nightmare world.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: wdleehi on January 28, 2013, 12:12:18 PM
If that is the case, the Celtics should try to move Green, Terry and Bass for younger, cheaper talent. 



Do not waste any cap space on guys that are only "good".



If it means waiting until Rondo is healthy to go after someone, do it then. 



There are worse things when trying to rebuild then Rondo, a top 10 draft pick, young talent and cap space/last year contracts. 
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: sofutomygaha on January 28, 2013, 12:12:30 PM
Jeff, do you really think Melo could start next year in Maine? That seems crazy to me.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: Who on January 28, 2013, 12:16:15 PM
PG: Rondo, Terry
SG: Lee, Bradley
SF: Green, (backup SF)
PF: Sully, Bass
C:  (new center), (backup center), Fab Melo

I think that is a team that can go .500 or close to it if Rondo plays at a high level.

I am thinking of low level options like Kwame Brown and a Ronny Turiaf type as incoming centers. Probably a minimum contract SF. Maybe Martell Webster or even a DeMarre Carroll type.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: KGs Knee on January 28, 2013, 12:16:48 PM
1st-  As much as we may assume Pierce and/or KG will retire at seasons end, it is far from guaranteed.  If, anything, they might feel as if their last opportunity has been stolen from them, and decide to come back for one more go.

Now, if they do retire at seasons end, the best move would be to just use next year as a rebuilding year.  Rondo will likely need the entirety of next season to work his way back into form.

I suspect Green is here to stay, for better or worse.  Danny seems to really believe in him.  Bass and Terry need to be traded for expirings.  Once Pierce and KG come off the books, along with Terry and Bass' jettisoned salary, we could have a decent chunk of cap space and probably a high lottery pick to go along.  Summer of 2014 is looking like the year to make our move.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: lightspeed5 on January 28, 2013, 12:17:19 PM
i still dont see why kg and pierce would retire... KG has nothing else to do other than basketball.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: Jeff on January 28, 2013, 12:20:01 PM
crazy idea time: what if KG and Pierce sit out the first half of the year and come back at the same time as Rondo?  basically the Roger Clemens plan times 2

insane?  maybe
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: Fafnir on January 28, 2013, 12:20:26 PM
Jeff, do you really think Melo could start next year in Maine? That seems crazy to me.
I took Perkins till this third year to get on the court.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: rondohondo on January 28, 2013, 12:32:16 PM
crazy idea time: what if KG and Pierce sit out the first half of the year and come back at the same time as Rondo?  basically the Roger Clemens plan times 2

insane?  maybe

then stern would fine them like he did to the spurs x 40
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: Lucky17 on January 28, 2013, 12:37:20 PM
I don't see KG and Pierce retiring after this year. After next year, perhaps.

I suspect the gameplan for next year will be to mirror Chicago this season: remain competitive while awaiting the return of the franchise point guard, and then hope to make noise in the latter half of the season.

Summer 2014, Pierce comes off the books, and Garnett could retire for additional cap space (only partial guarantee on his final year). There won't be a whole lot of cap room, but virtually everyone currently on the roster will be on expiring contracts going into the 2014-15 season. That will be the rebuild year.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: PhoSita on January 28, 2013, 12:59:02 PM
crazy idea time: what if KG and Pierce sit out the first half of the year and come back at the same time as Rondo?  basically the Roger Clemens plan times 2

insane?  maybe


Insane, Jeff.


I mean, look.  I understand the desire to keep running this thing back at all costs.  We don't want to let go of a good thing!

But what reason do we have to believe that next season will be all that different from this season, especially considering that Rondo will be spending pretty much the whole season working himself back into form?

I can understand why some people think it makes sense for the Celtics to just stick with the group they have this season and sort things out in the off-season.



But if by the start of next season Danny Ainge hasn't made some pretty drastic alterations to this roster to start majorly transitioning to the next era of Celtics basketball, then I think he should be canned.  Period.

  Because I want nothing to do with a GM who holds onto the status quo for the sake of avoiding rebuilding, or even worse for the sake of continuing to sell tickets even though the team has no chance of really competing in the playoffs.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: Evantime34 on January 28, 2013, 01:04:26 PM
Roy can I get an official ruling on what our cap situation would be like next year if KG and Pierce retire? I think we make a run at Josh Smith, if we have the cap space. Even though he isn't a five he can help protect the rim.
With everyone healthy next year
Rondo
Bradley
Green
Smith
Sullinger

Lee, Melo will contribute off the bench. I expect Bass and Terry to be moved.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: kgainez on January 28, 2013, 05:07:02 PM
We knew this would come since 2007. Said then then window was 3 years big.

3 years after that, we're concerned because this SEEMS to be going downhill? How long do you want to hold on to old guys? I'm not sure KG retires, esp if we find some success during play offs. Of course, I expect KG and PP to turn up (if they can).

We are making a lot of assumptions. Putting a lot of stress on ourselves. No one knows anything and frankly, every time we try to bet on something, we are obviously mistaken.
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: LooseCannon on January 28, 2013, 05:14:13 PM
Next season, there is a decent chance it looks much like this season's team after the return of Bradley, plus the best big the team can get with the MLE, with better team chemistry and understanding of roles on defense (if KG and PP don't retire).
Title: Re: deep breath: ok, what do we look like next year?
Post by: lantinm on January 28, 2013, 05:14:44 PM
Jeff, do you really think Melo could start next year in Maine? That seems crazy to me.
I took Perkins till this third year to get on the court.

To be fair, Perkins came straight out of High School and his body wasn't NBA caliber.  I understand Melo has only been playing basketball for 6+ years, but he did play two years of college ball and has an NBA body right now.  He is also far more athletic than Perk is/was.  If we start to tank (unintentionally), Melo should see 15-20 minutes a night this year.