Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 3, 2007 22:24:57 GMT -5
FL brought me a smile this afternoon, when I read the rumors she posted--Joe Johnson possibly coming back to Boston. This is an incredible rumor if true. Lets assume it is, and we can get him for the 5th pick (and we'd get back Atlanta's 11th pick), Theo's expiring contract, and another player (I'm fine with anyone not named Jefferson or Gerald).
I'm sure Pierce would be ecstatic about getting Joe Johnson as the veteran player he's been pleading for us to get. He and JJ make a very dangerous SF/SG combination from an offensive standpoint--both guys can manufacture their own offense if need be, and both are savvy veteran players who can score from the perimeter, slash to the basket, take the ball down into the post, and make their way to the FT line (combined, they average nearly 15 trips to the line per game). Together, they'll combine to score 40+ ppg.
Add to this Big Al Jefferson, who was an emerging beast in the paint in Pierce's absense, and we have a PF-SF-SG combination that will not be contained. Big Al will take the defensive pressure away from the perimeter with his low post presence, and Pierce and JJ will take away the pressure from Big Al in the paint so that Jefferson won't face pesky double teams. When Al faces single coverage, he normally comes through and delivers us points in the paint.
Anytime a team can field 3 big time scorers, the advantage is theirs. As long as there's chemistry and unselfishness, a 3 headed team cannot be stopped (only hope to be contained). Think about Duncan-Parker-Ginobli, or Arenas-Jamison-Butler, or Nash-Stoudemire-Marion, or Billups-Wallace-Hamilton, or Nowitzki-Howard-Stackhouse. Anytime you have at least one low post scorer in the trio of big scorers, you are almost guaranteed success. (Of course for the team to reach an elite level, defense is what is needed--and I'll get into that)
We aren't going to stop here, though. We still have a stellar PG in the making. Rajon Rondo will be a tremendous supplement to our "Big 3", as he can take care of his portion of duties, and add his own flare of excitement. Rajon is one of the most creative PGs in the league, not to mention one of the fastest, one of the best defensive, and one of the best at getting into transition (where he's a one-man gang). If Doc gives him freedom to create offense for the team, he would be even more dangerous. With defenses staying close to Jefferson, Pierce, and JJ, Rajon will have the room to attack the basket (another of his specialties). He'll make teams pay if they aren't keeping their eyes on him. But in order for Rajon to truly be a complete Point Guard, he'll need to consistently knock down open jumpers. If not, his man will sag off of him a bit and take away his driving lane.
In my opinion, we have 3 legitimate options to choose from at Center. #1--we can stay with what we have and use Perkins as our main anchor at the 5. He is what he is--a big body who plays solid defense, rebounds well, but has limitations physically and offensively (he'll need to keep himself out of foul trouble if he's going to help us). But he's a true team player who will sacrifice his life for the team's success. Option #2--draft a big man with the 11th pick we'll get back from Atlanta in the trade. This is tricky because there may not be a big man as good as Perkins at 11. If Spencer Hawes is there, it'll be a blessing, and he will become our starting Center in time. Same with Noah or Yi Jianlian (though its unlikely they'll fall to 11). There are some other international big men who will be there, but none are likely to be taken that high (Marc Gasol, Tiago Splitter, Ante Tomic). The 3rd option is the one I'll endorse, and I truly hope Ainge will pursue this--sign Darko Milicic as our key free agent signing. He's a budding player who is starting to get comfortable. He may never live up to his draft selection (2nd overall in one of the most decorated drafts in history), but he's coming into his own. He's young and still has the room to grow into a big role. He's got pretty good big man skills, and I have confidence in him that he'll be a quality scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker under Clifford Ray.
With a lineup of Jefferson, Pierce, Joe Johnson, and Rajon Rondo, all we'll really need from Darko is for him to swallow up the bulk of loose rebounds, clean up the offensive boards and get us some easy putback points, provide us with supplemental scoring when the ball comes his way, and keep opponents from humiliating us in the paint . He doesn't need to put up Amare Stoudemire type numbers--stats like 10 ppg, 9 rpg, and 3 bpg are going to be enough to anchor our Center spot.
Adding Darko to the lineup will pretty much seal any cracks we may have had in the starting rotation. He's got the goods to be a solid defensive presence, and as Jefferson proved last season, Clifford Ray can improve even the most depraved defensively challenged players.. Between Darko and Jefferson (with Perkins providing his defensive presence off the bench), we'll have a stable defense in the middle. Joe Johnson has been a decent ball thief his entire career, and with Rajon in the backcourt with him, they should be able to get a fair amount of steals every contest, which will lead to fast break opportunities. If anything, they should be able to funnel the plays towards the middle where Darko will be waiting to swat shots away.
We are still lacking a shut down perimeter defender in the starting lineup, but at the pace in which we will be scoring with the powerful offensive lineup we have, hopefully we can live with that. We need to pray that we'll have a fully recovered Tony Allen off the bench, cause he will provide a defensive spark.
If Ainge can be cunniving enough to swing these 2 moves this offseason, we shoot ourselves up the eastern conference ladder instantly--all the while keeping our younth movement intact. And this team should reman competitive long after the Heat have fallen. We will be right up there with the Bulls and Pistons as the divisions top seeds.
Now if we can also include David Blatt into our offseason plans, all will well again in Celtics land.
I'm sure Pierce would be ecstatic about getting Joe Johnson as the veteran player he's been pleading for us to get. He and JJ make a very dangerous SF/SG combination from an offensive standpoint--both guys can manufacture their own offense if need be, and both are savvy veteran players who can score from the perimeter, slash to the basket, take the ball down into the post, and make their way to the FT line (combined, they average nearly 15 trips to the line per game). Together, they'll combine to score 40+ ppg.
Add to this Big Al Jefferson, who was an emerging beast in the paint in Pierce's absense, and we have a PF-SF-SG combination that will not be contained. Big Al will take the defensive pressure away from the perimeter with his low post presence, and Pierce and JJ will take away the pressure from Big Al in the paint so that Jefferson won't face pesky double teams. When Al faces single coverage, he normally comes through and delivers us points in the paint.
Anytime a team can field 3 big time scorers, the advantage is theirs. As long as there's chemistry and unselfishness, a 3 headed team cannot be stopped (only hope to be contained). Think about Duncan-Parker-Ginobli, or Arenas-Jamison-Butler, or Nash-Stoudemire-Marion, or Billups-Wallace-Hamilton, or Nowitzki-Howard-Stackhouse. Anytime you have at least one low post scorer in the trio of big scorers, you are almost guaranteed success. (Of course for the team to reach an elite level, defense is what is needed--and I'll get into that)
We aren't going to stop here, though. We still have a stellar PG in the making. Rajon Rondo will be a tremendous supplement to our "Big 3", as he can take care of his portion of duties, and add his own flare of excitement. Rajon is one of the most creative PGs in the league, not to mention one of the fastest, one of the best defensive, and one of the best at getting into transition (where he's a one-man gang). If Doc gives him freedom to create offense for the team, he would be even more dangerous. With defenses staying close to Jefferson, Pierce, and JJ, Rajon will have the room to attack the basket (another of his specialties). He'll make teams pay if they aren't keeping their eyes on him. But in order for Rajon to truly be a complete Point Guard, he'll need to consistently knock down open jumpers. If not, his man will sag off of him a bit and take away his driving lane.
In my opinion, we have 3 legitimate options to choose from at Center. #1--we can stay with what we have and use Perkins as our main anchor at the 5. He is what he is--a big body who plays solid defense, rebounds well, but has limitations physically and offensively (he'll need to keep himself out of foul trouble if he's going to help us). But he's a true team player who will sacrifice his life for the team's success. Option #2--draft a big man with the 11th pick we'll get back from Atlanta in the trade. This is tricky because there may not be a big man as good as Perkins at 11. If Spencer Hawes is there, it'll be a blessing, and he will become our starting Center in time. Same with Noah or Yi Jianlian (though its unlikely they'll fall to 11). There are some other international big men who will be there, but none are likely to be taken that high (Marc Gasol, Tiago Splitter, Ante Tomic). The 3rd option is the one I'll endorse, and I truly hope Ainge will pursue this--sign Darko Milicic as our key free agent signing. He's a budding player who is starting to get comfortable. He may never live up to his draft selection (2nd overall in one of the most decorated drafts in history), but he's coming into his own. He's young and still has the room to grow into a big role. He's got pretty good big man skills, and I have confidence in him that he'll be a quality scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker under Clifford Ray.
With a lineup of Jefferson, Pierce, Joe Johnson, and Rajon Rondo, all we'll really need from Darko is for him to swallow up the bulk of loose rebounds, clean up the offensive boards and get us some easy putback points, provide us with supplemental scoring when the ball comes his way, and keep opponents from humiliating us in the paint . He doesn't need to put up Amare Stoudemire type numbers--stats like 10 ppg, 9 rpg, and 3 bpg are going to be enough to anchor our Center spot.
Adding Darko to the lineup will pretty much seal any cracks we may have had in the starting rotation. He's got the goods to be a solid defensive presence, and as Jefferson proved last season, Clifford Ray can improve even the most depraved defensively challenged players.. Between Darko and Jefferson (with Perkins providing his defensive presence off the bench), we'll have a stable defense in the middle. Joe Johnson has been a decent ball thief his entire career, and with Rajon in the backcourt with him, they should be able to get a fair amount of steals every contest, which will lead to fast break opportunities. If anything, they should be able to funnel the plays towards the middle where Darko will be waiting to swat shots away.
We are still lacking a shut down perimeter defender in the starting lineup, but at the pace in which we will be scoring with the powerful offensive lineup we have, hopefully we can live with that. We need to pray that we'll have a fully recovered Tony Allen off the bench, cause he will provide a defensive spark.
If Ainge can be cunniving enough to swing these 2 moves this offseason, we shoot ourselves up the eastern conference ladder instantly--all the while keeping our younth movement intact. And this team should reman competitive long after the Heat have fallen. We will be right up there with the Bulls and Pistons as the divisions top seeds.
Now if we can also include David Blatt into our offseason plans, all will well again in Celtics land.
