This was a comment left by papa shark, following my last article. It provides a ton of great breakdown of the current Boston Celtics roster, and what it will take to make them a championship team, as far off as that seems. Here is his comment, and then I will follow that up.
papa shark says:
To trade or not to trade?---That is the question! But the larger question continues to be, "What is the Ainge plan for winning an NBA title?" (I'm tired of hearing about making the playoffs only---Red Auerbach is turning over in his grave listening to "making the playoffs" talk , rather than "winning a championship" talk).
It's obvious that CHAMPIONSHIPS begin with defense, end with defense, and feature a blend of youth, experience, chemistry, and did I mention DEFENSE? Do you absolutely need 3 great players as many experts claim? No! Do you absolutely need an all-star center and an all-star scorer? Not necessarily, but DEFENSE is a must!
So who on the Celtics can(or will) defend, and is Doc Rivers the right coach to teach & demand team defense? When the C's were embarking upon the run for Greg Oden in the 2nd half of the 2006-2007 season, they turned a number of 6-20 point 3rd quarter leads into losses simply by playing Telfair, Ray & Green at the same time down the stretch.---that trio flat out could not (Telfair would not) defend! Therefore, Telfair is toast, Ray's services are no longer needed, and Green's future(despite his jump shot & obvious quickness)is very much in question. DOC's future should also be in question since he's given no evidence over the past few years that he can teach defense!
Let's start with the bigs:
JEFFERSON---He's quicker than ever, he's stronger than ever, and he blocks shots more regularly now. But can he defend against a 5 with better than average lowpost offensive skills? On most nights, the answer is "No!" Alternatively, can Big Al defend 4's? Well, let's just say that his defense has improved in the last year, but that he's not even close to being considered a lock down defender. Duncan and Bowen are lock down defenders, while Ginobili, Oberto, and Parker play well within Greg Popovich's defensive scheme. I love Garnett not just because of his offense (which is 5 times more diverse than Big Al's) but because Garnett is a mobile, strong,rebounding & shot-blocking presence in the lane! Jefferson is still a loooong way from Garnett defensively!
PERKINS---He's much stronger than Jefferson, is more willing to bang, but can't stay on the court(due to fouls) for more than 15-20 minutes per game. On a championship team, Perk is a backup.
PIERCE---He can rebound when he so desires, and the refs do let him get away with more on both offense & defense. He's strong and can play offense (if it's not run & gun) for 30+ minutes per night. Given his age and his body type, his durability is now a question, along with his gamein/game out commitment to playing defense. (In addition, if the C's are ever to become a championship caliber team with Pierce, Pierce has to let the point guard, not Pierce, run the offense!)
GOMES---He showed a more consistent defensive effort 2 years ago. On what playoff team would Gomes start? Sorry, he's at best a 6th or 7th man on a serious playoff team, i.e. not quite big/string enough to be a power forward, not quite quick enough or with enough range to play the "3", and not the lock-down defender we're looking for.
ALLEN---He's strong, plays with grit, has well above average quickness on the perimeter, and will rebound and then run the break. His knee injuries are killers, i.e. can he come back again and have the same quickness and jumping ability? If yes, then Tony has a chance to become an all-NBA defender. So don't trade him!
RONDO---He's so quick & disrupts defensively by leaving his man to make weakside/ blindside steals. He also rebounds, is surprisingly tough battling for balls in the lane, and runs the break! However, his on the ball defense is just ok in that he gets picked off & sealed far too often (Maybe that's a function of the lack of team defense not being taught/demanded by Doc?). Like Allen, Rondo also has a chance to someday be an all-NBA defender (If only he had a jump shot!). Don't trade him!
WEST---He's tough, determined, competes every night, but is not quite qick enough to consistently defend the quick point guards. He's best suited to coming off the bench as a replacement for your 1 or 2 guards.( How is it possible that he has no right hand dribble moves at all?)
WALLY---He's too slow, has no defensive quickness, and is an offensive player only. On an NBA championship team, he can only come in off the bench and play the role of Vinnie "the microwave" Johnson.
GERALD GREEN---one of the worst defensive players in the league, despite his incredible athleticism. Green's inability to play defense again makes one ask, "Can Doc teach/demand individual and team defense?"
TEAM NEEDS---1) The "5" who can muscle with other 5's & control the paint on defense. Perk will give you 15 minutes per night---Who will give you 30 minutes? Garnett can right now & so can Kirilenko. Shawn Marion will not and he's not a 5 or a true 4. It's too bad that Horford won't be there at the 5th pick in the draft (Sorry Rich, I think Horford will be a beast in the NBA), and that Sean Williams is such a gamble because of off the court issues. 2) The perimeter defender, the Bruce Bowen clone is also needed---Maybe it's Tony Allen, maybe it's Corey Brewer! Maybe it's an unknown European ballplayer to be taken in the 2nd round, 3) A point guard to lead both the offense and the defense---Rondo is not quite ready yet for 30+ minutes of point guard leadership. Chauncey Billips, Andre Miller? Those are the kind of point guards that are needed to let Rondo develop within the next few years. Who is available, and what the salary cap implications would be are tough questions.
WHO TO DRAFT? Yi has the most upside( 7 footer, quick, agile,a shooter and perhaps a shot blocker); Brewer fills an immediate and long term defensive need; Jeff Green could replace Pierce if Pierce is traded,and Sean Williams looks like the best defensive big man available in the draft.
Would I trade Jefferson for Garnett? Absolutely,but only if Garnett would stay for more than 1 year. Would I trade the 5th pick for Shawn Marion (world's ugliest jump shot)? Only if Marion stays for more that 1 year. Would I trade for Kirilenko? Yes, but don't give up Allen, Rondo, or Jefferson.
Draft night should be interesting!
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