Who will be this year's D League addition? (if any)

[TripleOT]

The Celtics bigs to me are a mess.  Bass and Green aren't true bigs.  One of that type is ok on a roster, but two of them is misery.  Sully for some reason hasn't gotten steady minutes.  Wilcox is a 9th man type. 

I think the Cs need a live body type big who will throw his body around, crash the glass, and create defensive havoc. Steamer was effective in that role last year until his injured foot slowed him down. 

There's an undersized (6'9" 210) center in the D league on Sioux Falls named Jarvis Varnado, who is blocking everything in sight (4.4 blocks in 30 mpg) and hitting the glass hard. The guy was an explosive paint presence in college, but hasn't gotten a chance in the pros.  I though he was a wise second round pick by Miami, but he couldn't get on the court. He's undersized, but quite a shot blocker, who is the NCAA career block leader

I'd love to see a live bodied, physical big play next to KG.  I'm sick of seeing undersized wimps like Green and Bass stand around while the other team gets offensive rebounds.

Any other suggestions for a low risk signing that could maybe help the Cs in the paint this year?

   

[lightspeed5]

a d-league big will not put us over the hump for  a championship.

[Who]

There's an undersized (6'9" 210) center in the D league on Sioux Falls named Jarvis Varnado, who is blocking everything in sight (4.4 blocks in 30 mpg) and hitting the glass hard. The guy was an explosive paint presence in college, but hasn't gotten a chance in the pros.  I though he was a wise second round pick by Miami, but he couldn't get on the court. He's undersized, but quite a shot blocker, who is the NCAA career block leader

I'd love to see a live bodied, physical big play next to KG.  I'm sick of seeing undersized wimps like Green and Bass stand around while the other team gets offensive rebounds
 

I would be very worried about those weight listings. He looks very thin in pictures on those youtube highlight videos (I haven't seen him play) and easy to push around in the paint.

Does Varnado have enough bulk + physical toughness to handle NBA caliber athletes at either big man position?

[ssspence]

I've talked about Varnado in a number of other threads. I feel he could play for the Cs at the 4 right away. He's a solid rebounder, and the most naturally gifted shot blocker I've ever seen play in person.

We can't win games with guys like Greg Smith or Tiago Splitter dominating our rim every single night. That he plays our position of greatest weakness makes him a logical try out. I would start Sully, bring this guy off the bench for 16-20 minutes a night, and find a team to take Bass asap.

[TripleOT]

a d-league big will not put us over the hump for  a championship.

Really?

I'm just looking for a live body to make our bigs a bit more energetic. 

[LooseCannon]

Brian Butch.  6'11" out of Wisconsin.  Former McDonald's All-American and D-League All-Star Game MVP.

He can rebound.  He has a perimeter shot.  He's an older, more mature player with some overseas experience.  He seems to have failed to latch onto NBA rosters due more to injuries at inopportune times rather than a clear lack of talent.

And ex-Celtic Chris Johnson is back in the D-League and someone I would consider giving a chance to.  He has shot-blocking abilities and was a former D-League defensive player of the year.

[csfansince60s]

I like Varnado too and think he is worth a shot.

This from nbadraft.net:

"Strengths: The best shot blocker in the country 4.7 BPG ... He controls the paint well ... Extremely long and athletic player with great motor and ability to run the floor ... Improved offensively since a year ago and looks to post up much more than last year ... His go-to move on the low post is to receive the ball on the left side of the floor and turn around to his left shoulder and shoot the right handed hook shot ... Learned to play pick-and –roll effectively … he is a solid cutter to the basket and has no problems catching the ball in traffic ... His points are mostly inside the paint off of put-backs, dunks, offensive rebounds and second shot opportunities (converts a good percentage of shots out to 10 feet) ... Possesses great timing and excellent ability to block shots and he is extremely explosive off the floor ... It’s very difficult to shoot over him or finish around the rim when he is in the game due to his extremely long arms, and if he doesn’t block shots he will alter them ... Due to his extremely long arms and athleticism, Varnado is a very good rebounder both defensively and offensively ... Even though he averages 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, he gets his hands on many loose balls ... Defensively he often lets opponents get position on the low post and makes them shot over him ... a strong help defender ... "

Sounds like someone we can use.

[Who]

The things that stand out to me from Draftexpress' reports on Varnado

Offense

Varnado’s lack of strength makes it difficult for him to establish deep position in the paint and finish through contact in traffic at times, an issue that will only be exacerbated against NBA-level big men. He still needs to work on his left hand and perimeter game as well, as you never see him put the ball on the floor or attempt a jump-shot outside of five feet. Varnado’s limited post game looks unlikely to translate to the next level—he’ll make a living primarily finishing drop-off passes around the rim, crashing the offensive glass and running the floor in transition, three areas that he excels in.

Defense

He still underwhelms at times as a man-to-man defender, particularly with his ability to step outside of the paint, something he needs to improve upon significantly before he is considered to be anything more than a marginal NBA role-player. He looks like a fish out of water moving laterally on the perimeter, appearing somewhat stiff and upright, without great fluidity, something that may hamper his ability to making the transition from collegiate center to NBA power forward.

I'd like to see Boston give him a 10 day contract sometime when they have a few days off and give him a good once over during a few practices. It sounds like he is worth a look.

[LooseCannon]

The Celtics signing and getting useful minutes from Varnado would have the bonus of using a guy who got cut by the Heat in preseason (understandably because he was injured and couldn't show his stuff) and making Miami "fans" sad.

[PhoSita]

No D-league guy is going to give the team what it needs, which is a legitimate PF / C 6-11+ who can average close to a double double in starters minutes, block some shots, and defend the rim.

Unfortunately, guys like that are all on teams already and they all make 5+ million a year, unless they're on rookie contracts.

[LooseCannon]

I think it is possible that someone currently playing in the D-League could provide the same level of production that Stiemsma provided last season.

[bfrombleacher]

Why not KMart or Chris Andersen over these guys?

[TripleOT]

Dear Mr. Ainge,

Although the only college level math class I completed was History of Math, I think I could be a valuable addition to your front office. 

I have an aversion to paying wimpy, low motor underachievers long term $9m per deals, so maybe this hire should have occurred last summer. 

[mgent]

You're the man TOT.  Great call, think about all the options Danny had to choose from.

[csfansince60s]

You're the man TOT.  Great call, think about all the options Danny had to choose from.

TP, TOT.

I liked your call back then (admittedly, I had focused on the positives from nbadraft.net in my earlier post in the thread)and am glad to see that Varnado's skills (rebounding, high motor and shot-blocking skills) usually translate pretty well to the pros.

Let's hope we have found a diamond in the rough. We are definitely owed a few breaks by the basketball gods.