Boston CelticsCoach: Greg Popovich
Manager: Edgar
Scoring Stats (click title to enlarge)
Misc Stats
*Not standard 2013 stats
Pau Gasol: 11-12 stats
Jonas Valanciunas: Games in which he played >30 mins
Gordon Hayward: Stats as a starter
Corey Brewer: mislabeled, they're standard
Evan Fournier: Post-Gallo injury in Denver
Terrence Jones: Post All-Star
Darrell Arthur: 10-11 Stats (pre-achillies injury)
Patrick Beverley: Post All-StarKyrie Irving / Isaiah Thomas / Patrick Beverley
Gordon Hayward / Evan Fournier / Patrick Beverley
Danilo Gallinari / Corey Brewer / Hayward
Pau Gasol / Darrell Arthur / Danilo Gallinari /
Jonas Valanciunas / Pau Gasol / Pero Antic
Deep Bench: Kent Bazemore, Terrence Jones
Overall Theory: Greg Popovich is our coach, so...We have that. We knew that where we were picking (13th) was a handicap. Picking dead in the middle, you're too far out to get a surefire-no-questions-asked MVP candidate. But, you're too high to take advantage of the 'Guy everyone forgot' and then turn around in the 2nd and 3rd and make everyone look silly. We also didn't really have the time to pursue trades like we'd have liked. These aren't excuses, merely context.
The Kyrie Era Begins In Earnest:We went for Kyrie Irving first and foremost, because the kid is a stone-cold assassin and the most versatile scoring guard in the league. Also, since Greg Popovich did wonders with Tony Parker, I don't see how Kyrie Irving couldn't fair much, much better. He's a danger from everywhere, a tough, vocal leader, and entering his third NBA season, is due a sizable improvement to an already elite performance as a PG. Its important when selecting your 'cornerstone' that you get a guy who can steer the ship as a leader. Harden's great, but he's not really a vocal presence. Deron Williams falls into the same category. Kyrie Irving is a 110% kind of overachiever who never accepts losing. If you were wondering what in the holy hell Cleveland was doing this offseason by bringing aboard Andrew Bynum when it would be far more prudent to wait it out for another lottery pick, Irving is why. He's made it known that he's done with the losing, and in just his third year he's ready to ascend into the NBA's top tier of players.
After Irving, we went big early and often. Gasol, Kanter, and Splitter made our next 3 picks. Size matters, and if you don't have a competent bigs rotation, you're goin nowhere. (Where you goin'?)
The Two Towers:Greg Popovich coached Tim Duncan and David Robinson, and while our guys aren't anywhere near their level, he knows how to utilize two big 7fters effectively. Gasol had an off year last year, but he was recovering from injury for a lot of it, and dealing with Dwights bullcrap for the rest of it. But finally, towards the end of the season, Gasol managed to round himself nearly into old form. Did you know that over the last 8 games of the season Gasol averaged 38 minutes, 17 points, 12 rebounds and 51% shooting?
I think a big part of this is Dwight's insistence that he have a larger role offensively, coupled with his lesser skill level. Dwight wanted more touches, but he can't do nearly as much with the ball as Gasol, and Pau's numbers suffered for it.
Enter Jonas Valanciunas. He can finish around the rim, but he basically shoots 40% from anywhere within the 3pt line, and uses an accurate and reliable hook shot and basic but effective series of post moves and counters to keep himself very effective out to 10 feet.
Pairing him with Gasol gives us two big men who can score with efficiency and versatility in the post who don't require a huge amount of touches. The bookends in the middle are very important, because Gasol's versatility as a passer is critical to the Celtics' success. Rather than sit tight with 3 viable weapons in Irving, Gasol, and Valanciunas, we went out and got SOME MORE!!
Boston Wings, Or, 'Ya Can't Stop All Of Us!!':Greg Popovich enjoys eating his steaks raw, and only does so after defeating a mature battle-hardened Texas bull in hand-to-horn combat. Gordon Hayward and Danilo Gallinari round out the starting rotation, and their skillsets mesh perfectly with what Boston is trying to do. Hayward, a 40%+ 3pt shooter, effective ball-handler, and gifted passer supplements Kyrie Irving as initiator on the offense, as well as playing the role of spot-up shooter when need be. Gallinari plays the roll of vintage Lamar Odom, scoring from deep, creating off the dribble, passing well, and creating his own shot when the situation necessitates it. He can switch from the 3 to the 4 as well, which means we can give a lot of different looks depending on the style of play. Greg Popovich is our coach.
The versatility of our wings, the skill level of our bigs, the talent of our point, impossible offense to hold down. IMPOSSIBLE.
But I want to complain about injuries and other bullcrap that doesn't matter!!: Sigh. Of course you do, you miserable unsatisfied person who lost your childhood wonder so now you want to inflict skepticism on everyone else as a kind of equalizer, even though you know that nothing will ever get back that feeling you had when you were 12 and you rode a rollercoaster for the first time.
Kyrie Insurance: Isaiah Thomas is a scoring wunderkind and a minutes workhorse who can step in to start games and still produce. He's proven that. Patrick Beverley is a defensive bulldog who can score from deep and plays 1000 miles an hour at all times (at either guard position). The two of them added together doesn't equal a Kyrie, but it equals a starting caliber point guard.
Gallo Insurance: Gordon Hayward is a 'Wing' more than he's a 2-guard or a 3, and when Gallo is out to start the season, Hayward will play 35 minutes or so split between the two. Behind him are Evan Fournier and Patrick Beverley at the 2, and Corey Brewer (who will get the start) at the 3. Its not going to replace Gallo's production, but it will mitigate the loss of him in the lineup somewhat.
Topic: 2013 CB Draft: Atlantic Division Press Conferences (Read 132059 times)