Doesn't "Hypothetically" Adding Millsap Make Us The New Atlanta Hawks?

[Surferdad]

It wouldn't be my first choice.  But the 2014-2015 Atlanta Hawks were a really good team, and I think the Celtics with Millsap could be at least that.  My concern is how long of a deal are you signing a 32 year-old Millsap to?  For a year or two, I think adding him in lieu of Amir, Jerebko, and Zeller makes us somewhat threatening to Cleveland.  But signing to a 4-year deal this summer?  I think we could come to regret that no less than halfway through.

Agreed. A two year max deal, maybe 3 with an option in there (preferably a team option, but I doubt he'd go for that) to give us a chance to contend now (he wouldn't make us a contender, but it's make the path to being a contender easier), while still keeping our options open to either make a trade or build long term around our picks

Plus I think Millsap's game will age very well (similar to Horford's)

I think Millsap could emerge as a solid and realistic Plan C. Maybe Horford even tries recruiting him.

Plan A is probably Griffin or Hayward. Plan B is a trade (which I doubt happens).

Agreed. I'd say Griffin is plan A1, Hayward is plan A2, a trade for a star big (so, Boogie) is plan B, and Millsap is plan C

Plan A1 ought to be filed under pipe dream.  Why would Griffin leave a better team and better market for us?

The same reason that Durant left OKC - the Clippers are better then us, but they've hit their ceiling and if they keep floundering on the playoffs, Griffin may look for greener pastures.

I wouldn't put money on Griffin leaving LA and coming here, but I wouldn't say it's a "pipe dream" either

Durant left to join one of the top 2 teams with Curry, Green and Thompson.  We aren't even a true contender and playing with Thomas and Horford isn't going to be a big draw when he's playing with Paul and Jordan.

I don't know. Paul is getting a bit long in the tooth. Will be 32 after this season. Crawford is definitely nearing the end of his run. Blake turns 28 this season and the rest of his prime is more aligned with our players. It really wouldn't be a surprise to see the Clippers try to reboot or rebuild if they get dominated in the playoffs by the warriors or spurs.

I also do believe that a team of Crowder, IT, Horford, Blake, Bradley with Brown, Smart and a few vets off the bench is a lot better team paul, jordan, blake, reddick and a cast of terrible small forwards.

Edit: Basically Lowe wrote about this today. There is a good chance this team blows up if it doesn't perform well this season.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18175468/zach-lowe-chris-paul-blake-griffin-la-clippers-nba

I guess you didn't read the end of the article where he says they aren't positioned for a rebuild and Balmer has already said he'll pay the cost to keep them together including a 5 year Max deal for Paul.  They're not going to blow up a top 4 team with Griffin and Jordan in their prime and Griffin.

This.  I get irritated every time somebody posts about getting Griffin.  Even as a FA, the odds he will resign in LA are very good.  Destinations other than Boston are STILL favored e.g., LAL, Miami.  Sorry, I just don't get a lot of mojo thinking about long shots.

[LooseCannon]

Millsap is arguably the best PF in the league (so long as you count Lebron as a SF).  A case could be made that Al Horford is the best center in the NBA and the best fit at the position for how the Celtics play.  And you're skeptical about replacing a merely adequate point guard with a legitimate All-Star PG?  Adding Millsap wouldn't turn the Celtics into the "new Atlanta Hawks", but it might make them the "new and vastly improved Atlanta Hawks" with a much deeper bench and a pipeline of future draft picks with which to add talent as Millsap/Horford get older.  Do well on a couple of picks and we're talking about a legitimate contender that doesn't need a few bridge years to segue into a future legitimate contender built around a younger core.

When did I say that about Teague and IT? I just merely meant that this team is "similar to the Hawks, except replace Teague with IT". I never implied I was skeptical about it lol.

Your OP suggests that you think Teague and Thomas are fungible, when Thomas is a significantly better player.  You asked if signing Millsap would make the Celtics the "new Hawks" (with the implication that the "new Hawks" would have as much of a chance of winning a title as the "old Hawks") and wrote that it feels like a bad move.

[tankcity!]

Milsap is getting older. I don't want to touch him. I'm good not being the Atlanta Hawks. We're better off tanking again if we don't get a star, haha.

[LooseCannon]

I mean, I hear people say we should target Millsap in Free Agency... But as much as he improves this team, doesn't this make us the new Atlanta Hawks...

You know, with Horford-Millsap-Teague being the "BIG 3" (Except in this case you replace Teague with Isaiah Thomas).

Idk, it just feels like that would be a bad move to make for Boston even if Millsap is the only FA option left next summer. What do you guys think? Or am I just being paranoid thinking this?

I'd say this is exactly correct.

Plan A should be Boogie at the deadline.  Ainge has said repeatedly he is going after "special" players.  I like Milsap but he is not special enough to put this team over the top.

Over the past few seasons, Millsap has been the better offensive player and the better defensive player, plus his skill set is a better fit for how Stevens coaches.  The only thing Cousins has going for him is being younger than Millsap.

[saltlover]

I mean, I hear people say we should target Millsap in Free Agency... But as much as he improves this team, doesn't this make us the new Atlanta Hawks...

You know, with Horford-Millsap-Teague being the "BIG 3" (Except in this case you replace Teague with Isaiah Thomas).

Idk, it just feels like that would be a bad move to make for Boston even if Millsap is the only FA option left next summer. What do you guys think? Or am I just being paranoid thinking this?

I'd say this is exactly correct.

Plan A should be Boogie at the deadline.  Ainge has said repeatedly he is going after "special" players.  I like Milsap but he is not special enough to put this team over the top.

Over the past few seasons, Millsap has been the better offensive player and the better defensive player, plus his skill set is a better fit for how Stevens coaches.  The only thing Cousins has going for him is being younger than Millsap.

When you're comparing a player who turns 32 in February to one who's 26, age is a HUGE factor.  Especially when you're debating which of those two players you'd like to have over the next five seasons, but also relevant when comparing them over the prior four.

I said earlier in the thread that Millsap would make this a better team, but to prefer Millsap over Cousins for the next several seasons, focusing only on their on-court abilities, is missing something very crucial.

[Phantom255x]

I am seeing lots of "Millsap to Boston" rumors/thoughts and I thought it would be okay to re-open this thread.

I mean, think about it, in 2014, the Hawks had Horford-Millsap-Teague and the Hawks never did much over the years.

You hypothetically add Millsap and its basically Horford-Millsap-Thomas in Boston (with Thomas replacing Teague in this scenario). It doesn't make us a championship contender, and suddenly we look like the Hawks in a way (middle of the pack, two of the same players in Horford and Millsap). What do you guys think?

[Phantom255x]

Rumors say Millsap is being shopped (as someone already posted on this forum).

Still think it makes us the new "Boston Hawks" or "Atlanta Celtics" though..

[saltlover]

Rumors say Millsap is being shopped (as someone already posted on this forum).

Still think it makes us the new "Boston Hawks" or "Atlanta Celtics" though..

And as I've said in this thread, the 2014-2015 Hawks were a very good team, and we'd be a slightly better version.  Do we beat Cleveland? Still probably not.  I think the only midseason acquisition that gives us a chance is Cousins.  But it gives us a much better chance to get to Cleveland in the playoffs.  Injuries happen sometimes, and Kyrie or LeBron go down, I'd rather it be us that's the lucky team to take advantage of it than Toronto, assuming it doesn't cost a Brooklyn pick.

[Ogaju]

Brooklyn picks are untouchable...

[crimson_stallion]

I have zero interest in Millsap. Fantastic player, but he makes zero sense for this team.

We need a proper big with legit size who can dominate in the post and rebound well enough to offset the fact that our current center rebounds like a guard.

Millsap is not that guy.   He's way undersized, and like Horford he's not a #1 guy.  Like horford he's a guy who will give you 25 and 11 one might,  and 12/4 the next.   

We need a consistent double double machine to start alongside horford.   Somebody like cousins, Monroe, Howard, Gortat would qualify.  Nothing less then a double figure rebounder and interior scorer would help this team.

Hell even Khris Humphrey's wpuld help us more probably then Millsap.

[PAOBoston]

I like Millsap. He's a good player and has legit destroyed the C's every time he faces them. I'd like him on the C's but not at the expense of neglecting the bigger needs this team has. I wouldn't mind him coming off the bench though. Anyone but Olynyk at this point.

[Eddie20]

I like Millsap. He's a good player and has legit destroyed the C's every time he faces them. I'd like him on the C's but not at the expense of neglecting the bigger needs this team has. I wouldn't mind him coming off the bench though. Anyone but Olynyk at this point.

That seems very realistic.

[chilidawg]

Millsap is a very good basketball player.  Age is not really relevant because he's a half year rental.  He'd greatly improve our rebounding.  He's not a rim protector, but Horford is doing a good job of that.  Anyone who thinks Kris Humphries is a better basketball player obviously has really good drugs.  I don't know who this "consistent double-double player" is who you think is available, but they're few and far between.

14th in the Association in RPM.  If you can get him at a reasonable price, I think it makes us a contender.

[Vermont Green]

Milsap would be a nice upgrade at PF.  He would no doubt help the team which I am all for.  We have a couple of windows of opportunity that we need to work with; the first is the 2-year window we have with Thomas.  Milsap could help with that window.

We have to be careful though that we don't do something to help this first window that hurts the second window.  The second window is Smart, Brown, and the two BRK picks.  I would be OK with getting Milsap so long as we don't give up any of the key assets needed for the second window.

[Ilikesports17]

Millsap is a very good basketball player.  Age is not really relevant because he's a half year rental.  He'd greatly improve our rebounding.  He's not a rim protector, but Horford is doing a good job of that.  Anyone who thinks Kris Humphries is a better basketball player obviously has really good drugs.  I don't know who this "consistent double-double player" is who you think is available, but they're few and far between.

14th in the Association in RPM.  If you can get him at a reasonable price, I think it makes us a contender.

You dont trade for Millsap unless you plan to try to extend him so age is absolutely relevant.