Acquiring A Post Scorer

[PhoSita]

Favors

I'd be excited to see the Celts acquire Favors, but I'm not convinced Utah will consider moving any of their core, at least not yet.

[PhoSita]

Why not Brook Lopez?

The Nets maybe on the rebuilding process themselves, and I think they won't mind getting their picks back.

Brook Lopez is an excellent post scorer, and he has shown that the foot is good and healthy.

He's slow and is not a very good rebounder.  I don't think he's a good fit with the Celts.

Plus he's got lots of wear and tear on him, with significant injury issues in his past.

[Who]

- Greg Monroe

- Jahlil Okafor

- Jonas Valanciunas

- Nikola Vucevic

I have lost interest in Greg Monroe. Disappointed by his response / defensive effort since joining Milwaukee. Has fallen back on his old habits. I thought Monroe had grown out of those bad habits after a good showing defensively in his final year in Detroit. But, nope. Right back to the issues that have plagued him through most of his career.

Pau Gasol is far too old and too slow. He is more immobile than Brook Lopez is. Too large of a defensive liability. He'd make a fine backup C for somebody for 20mpg.

Jahlil Okafor = not really. I like him more as a trade asset than a player. Just not a well-rounded enough player and I doubt he ever will be.

Nik Vucevic = I like him the most out of this list. Still, despite his impressive numbers Vucevic still does not impact winning games as much as you would expect / hope. He is working with the best defensive coach in league in Scott Skiles and while there has been some improvement, it hasn't been as much as one would hope. Unlike Monroe, Valanciunas or Okafor, Vucevic is not just a post scorer. He is also a good jump-shooter and an improving passer so Vucevic can help team offense better than the others. That is why I like him the most.

Jonas Valanciunas = 2nd favourite player on this list. Good interior player in all three phases of the game - offense, defense and rebounding. Cannot defend away the basket and cannot help offensively away from the basket. A solid player who you have to adjust your own team's game-plan around to work with his offensive and defensive limitations and he is not really good enough to justify building your team around. Vucevic's jump-shooting gives him the edge over Valanciunas.

[IDreamCeltics]

How about just drafting Jakob Poeltl?  Averaged 17 pts 9 rebounds 2 assists 1.6 blks .64 FG% this year in college.  Legit 7 footer, with room to fill out.  Averaged almost 70% from the free throw line.  Outplayed Okafor in a head to head matchup last year when they were both freshman.

Haven't had anyone explain to me yet why Okafor is a better center in todays NBA than Poeltl.

[Lucky17]

I noticed that the OP did not include Al Jefferson or Roy Hibbert on the list of post players.

Nene and Marcin Gortat are two other scoring centers that could be available as well.

[Who]

Do you think the post-up is dead and there is no way to win playoff games with a scoring center in today's NBA?

I think it is pretty much dead.

The league changed the rules to make scoring easier from the perimeter by removing hand-checking. Until they do something similar for post players to make post scoring (relative to perimeter scoring) more efficient again, then there isn't much value in it. Still some value but not much.

The other big rule change that effected post scoring is the zone defenses. As well as Smart did defensively on Millsap, it was clear to see how little time and room Millsap had to operate with. Defenders were shading over before he started a move. Could collapse right on top of him within a second. Millsap had no time to slowly back Smart down (like Barkley did so well back in the day). It's just so difficult to create good post scoring opportunities these days.

I think the best type of scorer at center in today's league is a quick-footed face up big. Like Amare Stoudemire in those Phoenix Suns teams. Someone with the quickness to drive by centers in isolation. Who are terrific transition players. Who can play PnR and PnP basketball. Anthony Davis is the best player in the league at this currently. Unfortunately, NOP do not properly utilize his skill-set often enough.

[Fafnir]

Yeah Smart had quick help from Isiah and Turner on almost every Millsap post up if he held the ball very long.

[CoachBo]

How about just drafting Jakob Poeltl?  Averaged 17 pts 9 rebounds 2 assists 1.6 blks .64 FG% this year in college.  Legit 7 footer, with room to fill out.  Averaged almost 70% from the free throw line.  Outplayed Okafor in a head to head matchup last year when they were both freshman.

Haven't had anyone explain to me yet why Okafor is a better center in todays NBA than Poeltl.

Terrible feet. Dominated by Wichita State's smaller posts in a blowout loss. Slow, not enough of an offensive arsenal, not a major defensive factor. Tough end of the season.

Poeltl isn't a disaster on the Dragan Bender scale, but he is a long-term project that isn't going to be more than Eric Montross.

Not interested.

I expect Ainge to fish for a big score here at the 5 - Cousins or he kicks the tires again on Okafor.

Either would be a quality move with the Brooklyn pick, et al., if it falls outside the top 2.

[PhoSita]

I noticed that the OP did not include Al Jefferson or Roy Hibbert on the list of post players.

Nene and Marcin Gortat are two other scoring centers that could be available as well.

Big Al, nene, Hibbert...  Washed up.

I've always really liked Gortat. Not sure how much he has left.

[PhoSita]

I think the post up is still relevant today, though I'm starting to notice it more with smaller players and less with bigger players.

I think for big men, you need a guy who can move well and and get into post position quickly, catch and go into a post move quickly and decisively. Can't take half the shot clock posting, reposting, and backing down.

Boris Diaw is a pretty good example I think.

Overall, you need a guy who doesn't just post,  and you need the right kind of players around him.

[max215]

Favors

Yep, Favors is the guy. If the Pick falls to 4-6, then I'd be more than willing to give that plus some extra stuff for Favors. He's a two way player, can guard forwards and centers, can play both frontcourt positions, is developing range, is young, cheap, and would likely be an All-Star with the weakness of Eastern frontcourt players. I adore Favors.

[LooseCannon]

If the Celtics needed a post scorer, they could have kept David Lee.

[alldaboston]

It will be Kevin Love.  No doubt in my mind.   He will be a Celtic next year, guaranteed.

Ainge always gets his man.  Love has been his man and main target since the pre-Cavs days. I don't care where the Nets pick lands, it will be used to acquire Love.  The better the pick, the less Ainge will have to give.

So true. TP.  I would love a Love-Johnson front court.

Do you think, regardless of what Cleveland does in the playoffs, love will be attainable? Or only if they lose like last year? Because I can't imagine them winning it all and then shipping love.

[alldaboston]

If the Celtics needed a post scorer, they could have kept David Lee.

Well, his post touch was quite atrocious with us. And a post scorer is nice, but it'd also be nice if they could stretch the floor a bit more/be helpful on defense. All our advanced numbers were worse with lee on the floor.

[LooseCannon]

If the Celtics needed a post scorer, they could have kept David Lee.

Well, his post touch was quite atrocious with us. And a post scorer is nice, but it'd also be nice if they could stretch the floor a bit more/be helpful on defense. All our advanced numbers were worse with lee on the floor.

Most of the post scorers mentioned in this thread neither stretch the floor nor help on defense.

David Lee is still a useful player, but players with his skill set are probably not a diehard need for the team.  Better players with similar strengths and deficiencies are probably not good fits for the Celtics.  If you have a one-dimensional post scorer, those skills would be better off coming from a low-cost role player who can be given a DNP against opponents where post offense is unnecessary to win.