A lot of names have been thrown around lately. But now that free agency is starting to shake out a little... let's take a look at where we stand right now.
Starters: Rondo, Ray, Pierce, Perk, KG
The signing of Rasheed Wallace makes Perk, KG and Sheed interchangeable. But Perk's greatest success comes alongside KG. Plus, Sheed's biggest contribution will be to help anchor that second unit.
Bench: Sheed, House, (back up pg), (back up sf).
Sheed and House are locks. Big minutes off the bench are pretty much assured.
Grant Hill appears to be option #1 as our back up 3. It will certainly be a help if he's willing to take the $1.9 million LLE offer.
Yes, there are concerns about his health, but last season was the first time he played a full 82 game season. So he made it through every game last year... playing 30 minutes a game... and averaging 12 points, 5 rebounds and a couple of assists. He wouldn't be asked to play 30 minutes, which would be good for him and his health. And I think we'd all happily take anything close to those numbers off the bench while Paul gets a little extra rest.
The back up plan? Well, now that we've only got the bi-annual exemption... it kind of eliminates the Dahntay Jones' of the world. So unless someone decides to take less money, the C's might just have to figure out if Bill Walker/JR Giddens can get the job done. If not, then the job goes to Scal... which isn't the worst thing in the world. I think Scal proved last season that he's smart enough to get out there and not hurt the C's. He'll hit a good percentage of open 3's and he'll make the right decision with the ball just about every time. On this second unit, that's pretty much what you need.
As for the back up point...
The C's are really going bargain basement with this. That is, unless someone like Stephon Marbury sees the Sheed (and hopefully, Hill) signing as his opportunity for a ring and reconsiders his desires for more money.
The best the Celtics can do is give someone the veteran minimum right now. That leaves us with players like Tyronn Lue as our back up PG option. And that's our biggest weakness. Of all the spots were we seem to be fairly well stocked, we still don't have someone to give Rondo a rest... and our options there are limited.
But we've been down that road before... and that one ended with a parade.
Of course, Lester Hudson could surprise the hell out of us and take the spot. Or something will finally click with Gabe Pruitt and he'll be able to fill the void. As an aside, I'd like to see that. He can shoot, he can drive, and he can pass. If he can figure out how to do it all at the same time and with some consistency... he's got the job. He's got the tools. I hope he figures out how to use them.
What's really going to be interesting is how does Tony Allen fit into the C's plans? He's the most frustrating player I've ever seen. He can be so good... and so terrible... and so often in the same game. He can be a wild card in all of this. You can make the case that he can be a great back up and 15 ppg scorer off the bench just as easily as you can argue he should be cut.
It's all starting to come together. We've got a couple of holes to fill, but I like where it's all going.
