Author Topic: Would adding Hibbert and Middleton challenge for top 4 in East next year?  (Read 3666 times)

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Offline chambers

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Does this team challenge for top 4 in the East next season?

Not asking if they are a lock, but could they be like the Bucks this season? Somewhere between 4th to 6th, looking to fight to 7 games in most playoff series?
Also, who starts at point guard if we sign two free agents?
Smart and IT or
Smart and Bradley...

Variations of lineups...would these squads have a punchers chance at the 2nd round this season?

Smart
Bradley
Middleton
Sullinger
Hibbert with

Thomas
Olynyk
Crowder
Draft picks
Young

off bench

or

Thomas
Smart
Middleton
Sullinger
Hibbert

or
Smart
Middleton
Crowder
Olynyk
Hibbert

w Bradley+Sully+Thomas off bench..
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Offline GetLucky

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To answer your question, I don't think we'd be a lock for top 4, but we'd definitely have a puncher's chance. I'd see the team as somewhere between Milawaukee and DC this year. However, Hibbert has a player option, and Middleton is a RFA, so I doubt we get either.

Edit: I forgot about the NBA seeding rule. I think we could definitely challenge Toronto for the division and thus a top-4 seed.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2015, 11:05:20 AM by GetLucky »

Offline slamtheking

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not that we'll get those 2 but assuming we did:

I was looking at your frontcourt and thinking that's woefully thin then realized you're missing Zeller.  Zeller as the backup center on that team would be solid.   Turner's missing as well.  he'd be a nice player off the bench.

the big IFs are:
- Can Hibbert/AB/KO finally get it together in terms of consistant play?
- Can Sully stay healthy for the year and be a consistant 15/9 player?
- Can Smart improve for next year?
- Can James Young really make an improvement for next year?
-->if 4 of those 6 players meet that commitment, then that team should probably win the division and quite possibly get the 3 seed (provided Rose is toast next year for Chicago)

Offline BudweiserCeltic

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Hibbert sucks.

Offline Monkhouse

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Hibbert sucks, and doesn't fit our system.
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Offline n4nirvana

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Hibbert doesn't really fit Brad's system

Offline celticsclay

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Hibbert sucks

Offline jonaslopes

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Hibbert sucks.
It's nice seeing him get exposed as overrated after having argued with fellow fans for years that he was overrated.. but I don't hate him. I'm looking forward to seeing him [...] bounce around to a couple more teams... eventually come back to Boston[...] and helps us as a role player until he runs himself out of the league.
LarBrd33 on Rondo

Offline hpantazo

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Hibbert sucks.

I disagree. Hibbert is a legit rim protector who can provide some very good offense when motivated. He's the perfect reclamation project for CBS and after his last two seasons, he may actually be attainable for us. If you add Hibbert and Middleton to Smart, Bradley, Turner, Zeller, Sullinger, KO, and IT, all under CBS, we would certainly be top 4 in the ECF next season.

Offline GetLucky

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^Social Proof at its finest (not counting hpantazo's post)

Offline More Banners

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The group we have is a bunch of guys that are pretty motivated. Over the top. Team defense is remarkable in light of the center spot, and this is what is really fueling whatever level of success this squad manages.

It makes it more difficult to just pop in a superior talent or two, and expect the additions to be automatic improvement. Fit is important.

Hibbert might not be the guy, never mind what it would take to get him here.

Offline DefenseWinsChamps

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We might be a 6 seed in the East this year without those two guys.

If we added two starters from two middle tier playoff teams who we compete with for seeding, then yes I think we would be a 4 seed, depending on how the team jells together. With another year of development for our young guys, we might be able to compete with Toronto as well.

Offline Evantime34

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I don't think Hibbert fits what the C's want to do. If they added him they would need to slow their pace considerably to fit Hibbert's game. I believe Stevens when he talks about wanting a pace and space team, Hibbert doesn't fit into that.
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Offline BornReady

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No
Bulls, cavs, wiz, bucks, heat will be better than our lineup

Depending on bucks development of giannis, jabari, Henson and MCW

Heat depending on wade and bosh health

Offline chambers

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To those saying that Hibbert sucks, we aren't getting Hibbert for his offense. We are getting him as a rim protector- which he is one of the best in the league at doing.
His offense is a bonus as hpantazo points out.
Steven's spacing would arguably give Hibbert more room to work 1v1 with Olynyk or Sullinger out on the three point line.
Just think about how hard it would be to score on a line up of:

Smart
Bradley
Middleton
Sullinger
Hibbert

with IT, Crowder,Olynyk,Zeller, Young, our draft picks off the bench.
We currently get 10 points and 5.5 rebounds from Zeller and we are fighting for the 8th spot in the East with no small forward other than Crowder who is a combo forward without much penetration game.

Shifting Hibbert into that starting line up with Middleton gives us a huge defensive punch and makes our bench extremely deep- it also gives us more of a post presence than Zeller provides and deep playoff experience.

Anyway, I can understand why some don't love Hibbert's game, and maybe he is too slow, but he and D Jordan are about the only two big men in the NBA that we have a realistic chance at attaining this offseason- and Hibbert is the better on ball defender.

What's funny is that when reading the Clippers boards on RealGM most of them said they'd trade Jordan for Hibbert in a heartbeat. Interesting idea.
"We are lucky we have a very patient GM that isn't willing to settle for being good and coming close. He wants to win a championship and we have the potential to get there still with our roster and assets."

quoting 'Greg B' on RealGM after 2017 trade deadline.
Read that last line again. One more time.