Trade targets using the Gallo contract

kazuneko

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So in just over one month (Dec. 15) Gallinari, and most importantly his contract, become a tradable asset for the Boston Celtics. As much as most of us were excited to get him, since his injury and the rise of Sam Hauser, Gallo may be most valuable to the Cs as a trade chip, as the size of his contract could potentially allow the Cs to acquire a player better matching their needs without giving up a player who might be needed for the playoff run. The Cs could really use a third big man to shore up their interior defense, both for this season and going forward. Al is 36 years old, and Williams' knee may prevent him from ever being the type of guy who can play long minutes over the course of a full season and the playoffs. One name that has mentioned before is Jakob Poeltl, whose salary would match up perfectly with a Pritchard/Gallo offer, though I'm sure there are other options out there who others might prefer.
 
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moondog80

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Can't remember where, but I saw someone make the point that trading a guy like Gallo who chose to come here might send a bad message given that the C's will hopefully be in the business of attracting ring chasers for the next few years.
 

nighthob

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He chose to risk his health by playing in an international tournament after signing his deal here. If he really wants to play here he can return next year. Assuming that he skips international play next summer.
 

moondog80

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He chose to risk his health by playing in an international tournament after signing his deal here. If he really wants to play here he can return next year. Assuming that he skips international play next summer.
Sure. But justified or not, if trading Gallo does in fact make other guys think twice about signing here, that needs to be considered.
 

benhogan

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Can't remember where, but I saw someone make the point that trading a guy like Gallo who chose to come here might send a bad message given that the C's will hopefully be in the business of attracting ring chasers for the next few years.
valuing potential veteran bench mercenaries next year over
a Tatum, Brown, Smart, Horford, Brogdon Championship run this season is really bad business

Brad owes it to the veterans that have been here for many years the best chance to win

PLUS I doubt anybody would care if Brad dealt Gallo, including DG's agent.
 

TripleOT

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valuing potential veteran bench mercenaries next year over
a Tatum, Brown, Smart, Horford, Brogdon Championship run this season is really bad business

Brad owes it to the veterans that have been here for many years the best chance to win

PLUS I doubt anybody would care if Brad dealt Gallo, including DG's agent.
JT and JB are a big lure for FAs. Any FA who wants to win a title would want the front office to do everything it can to maximize their chances, including shipping out an injured, newly signed FA.
 

benhogan

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JT and JB are a big lure for FAs. Any FA who wants to win a title would want the front office to do everything it can to maximize their chances, including shipping out an injured, newly signed FA.
it's laughable

Utah shipped out fan favorite, Joe Ingles, who bled for the Jazz for 8 seasons, as salary ballast.

Not one person in the NBA blinked
 

moondog80

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it's laughable

Utah shipped out fan favorite, Joe Ingles, who bled for the Jazz for 8 seasons, as salary ballast.

Not one person in the NBA blinked
Utah isn't trying to attract vets to come there for short money.

If it won't impact their ability to get guys than by all means ship him away in the right deal. I don't care about doing right by Gallo per se, only about what is best for the Celtics.
 

TripleOT

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Any interest in Mo Bamba? $10m this season, non-guaranteed 10m next. Future odd man out when Isaacs finally returns, with the emergence of Bol Bol at 1/5th the salary. Big time underachiever with ridiculous length and great skill set. Skills trained with Tatum. Maybe could finally get it when playing for a top team. Gallinari and a scrub works money wise. Is he worth a first? Two seconds and JDD or Begarin?
 

benhogan

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Any interest in Mo Bamba? $10m this season, non-guaranteed 10m next. Future odd man out when Isaacs finally returns, with the emergence of Bol Bol at 1/5th the salary. Big time underachiever with ridiculous length and great skill set. Skills trained with Tatum. Maybe could finally get it when playing for a top team. Gallinari and a scrub works money wise. Is he worth a first? Two seconds and JDD or Begarin?
The way too early wish list for upfront help. Some guys are classic 5s, some would force TL/Al to split up the 5 minutes. Nothing happens until after DEC.15th, since we'll need DG's salary. If AD gets dealt this could create buyouts, plenty of Center movement

1. Poeltl
2. Vanderbilt
3. Noel - buyout?
4. Gafford - why are his minutes down so much? ugh he broke the 20-minute mark last night
5. Theis- buyout? are we restricted if the trade happened in the Summer. Is that considered last season?
6. Mo Bamba - have they bought into Bol Bol?
 
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benhogan

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Utah isn't trying to attract vets to come there for short money.

If it won't impact their ability to get guys than by all means ship him away in the right deal. I don't care about doing right by Gallo per se, only about what is best for the Celtics.
Cavs did it with Rubio last season. Nobody cared esp Ricky, who re-upped with the Cavs again.

It's in the Celtic's best interest to make their young veterans happy.
 

kazuneko

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Any interest in Mo Bamba? $10m this season, non-guaranteed 10m next. Future odd man out when Isaacs finally returns, with the emergence of Bol Bol at 1/5th the salary. Big time underachiever with ridiculous length and great skill set. Skills trained with Tatum. Maybe could finally get it when playing for a top team. Gallinari and a scrub works money wise. Is he worth a first? Two seconds and JDD or Begarin?
Gallinari and Pritchard would be interesting if they’d take it. Unless Brogdon is compromised by injury, Pritchard should be traded. He’s not gaining value by accumulating DNPs every night..
 

Cellar-Door

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I would guess they don't move him. It's only 6.48M, so even with Pritchard you're not looking at a ton of players in the return (since you're obviously mostly getting the pick) and I think they would like to bring him back on his option next season.

I also don't think Brad sees the minutes out there to be worth moving a 1st (or more) which is what you're looking at when trading away a guy out for the year with an ACL who can opt in next year.
 

nighthob

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Sure. But justified or not, if trading Gallo does in fact make other guys think twice about signing here, that needs to be considered.
To be brutally frank, I don't think it does. Most ringchasing vets aren't going to be risking their health playing internationally and I suspect that most of them understand that they have an obligation to not injure themselves during the offseason.
 

kazuneko

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I would guess they don't move him. It's only 6.48M, so even with Pritchard you're not looking at a ton of players in the return (since you're obviously mostly getting the pick) and I think they would like to bring him back on his option next season.

I also don't think Brad sees the minutes out there to be worth moving a 1st (or more) which is what you're looking at when trading away a guy out for the year with an ACL who can opt in next year.
Yeah, I don’t get this. Unless something changes, this is a potential championship team. It’s also a team that needs a third big, even more so than most as both Al and Rob are health risks. Both need to be handled cautiously. If two guys that aren’t even playing like Pritchard and Gallo can get you a Poeltl or a Bamba, that’s probably a trade you have to make.
 

Smokey Joe

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Even though you could say that the Celtics need a another big AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, they are still 9-3 and on a five game winning streak. It will not be that long before part-time lord returns to the lineup and then they can re-assess the roster then. It is very likely that Brad is not going to use up his assets until February 10th because stuff happens. One major injury to a rotation player could change our priorities in an instant and if Brad had used the assets to get a third big who is doing a grand job waving a towel on the bench we wouldn’t be thrilled.
So don’t expect anything major to happen anytime soon.
 

Swedgin

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Even though you could say that the Celtics need a another big AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, they are still 9-3 and on a five game winning streak. It will not be that long before part-time lord returns to the lineup and then they can re-assess the roster then. It is very likely that Brad is not going to use up his assets until February 10th because stuff happens. One major injury to a rotation player could change our priorities in an instant and if Brad had used the assets to get a third big who is doing a grand job waving a towel on the bench we wouldn’t be thrilled.
So don’t expect anything major to happen anytime soon.
Well said. While the Celtics have a surfeit of guards now, it is worth remembering that Brogdon was available at a relatively low cost precisely because of injury history/concerns about his future availability.
 

benhogan

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Brogdon was mostly available because Indiana wanted to go young, rebuild, let Halliburton run things and add a 1st round pick while unloading gtd money.

Nobody is expecting anything to happen trade-wise until Jan/Feb trade deadline. There will be buyouts after blockbuster deals are made so patience will be rewarded

Charles Bassey with an interesting line for the Spurs tonight 18 mins, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks for any Poeltl-ites
 

kazuneko

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Even though you could say that the Celtics need a another big AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, they are still 9-3 and on a five game winning streak. It will not be that long before part-time lord returns to the lineup and then they can re-assess the roster then. It is very likely that Brad is not going to use up his assets until February 10th because stuff happens. One major injury to a rotation player could change our priorities in an instant and if Brad had used the assets to get a third big who is doing a grand job waving a towel on the bench we wouldn’t be thrilled.
So don’t expect anything major to happen anytime soon.
They can’t even trade Gallo’s until December 15th at the earliest. So yes, they have time to figure this out and nothing will happen soon. If/when it does happen it will be to address our most pressing need at the time.
That said, there is no reason not to speculate now. This is a discussion board, speculation is our bread and butter..
 

lovegtm

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Wrt Gallo: he has a player option for next year, and is unlikely to play again this year anyway.

If he's traded to a good team, he'll try to rehab and see whether he can make it back for the playoffs. If he's traded to a bad team, they'll buy him out, and he can choose his (non-Boston) destination and try to make it back for a playoff run.

If he loves Boston, he can re-sign next year. He's made a ton of career money, so the difference in contract sizes would be a rounding error.

The way too early wish list for upfront help. Some guys are classic 5s, some would force TL/Al to split up the 5 minutes. Nothing happens until after DEC.15th, since we'll need DG's salary. If AD gets dealt this could create buyouts, plenty of Center movement

1. Poeltl
2. Vanderbilt
3. Noel - buyout?
4. Gafford - why are his minutes down so much? ugh he broke the 20-minute mark last night
5. Theis- buyout? are we restricted if the trade happened in the Summer. Is that considered last season?
6. Mo Bamba - have they bought into Bol Bol?
Poeltl obviously is perfect, but I think Brad would balk at a price that included a 1st; #1 unprotecting the 2028 swap makes some sense, but don't want to start a holy war.

Gafford and Vanderbilt are interesting fits. Not interested in Bamba.

Theis is slightly washed: he wasn't the same guy in the 2022 playoffs that he was in prior runs. Not interested, and Brad low-key did a good job getting off the rest of his money. Kornet is a slightly better player now imo.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Even though you could say that the Celtics need a another big AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, they are still 9-3 and on a five game winning streak. It will not be that long before part-time lord returns to the lineup and then they can re-assess the roster then. It is very likely that Brad is not going to use up his assets until February 10th because stuff happens. One major injury to a rotation player could change our priorities in an instant and if Brad had used the assets to get a third big who is doing a grand job waving a towel on the bench we wouldn’t be thrilled.
So don’t expect anything major to happen anytime soon.
Actually, I don't think you can say it. The Celtics are 9-3, have improved over last year in some ways and are still a work in progress in other ways. They have more playeable roster players than they can use.

They need a big come playoff time. But that big might be Rob.

Brad is going to hang onto his resources until later on, and then look to shore up the team headed into the playoffs.
Nobody is expecting anything to happen trade-wise until Jan/Feb trade deadline. There will be buyouts after blockbuster deals are made so patience will be rewarded
This.
 

astrozombie

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To be brutally frank, I don't think it does. Most ringchasing vets aren't going to be risking their health playing internationally and I suspect that most of them understand that they have an obligation to not injure themselves during the offseason.
Agreed. I am bummed because I think he would have helped the team, but this stuff happens. And I think players are adult enough to recognize that stuff happens and teams act accordingly. I love IT and Walker both, but it was clear that they were not helping the team and I don't think anyone would bring them up when considering signing with the Cs. Well, maybe Anthony Davis' dad, but I 99% think he said that stuff about the Cs treatment of IT just to scare the Cs off so AD could go to his preferred location of LA.
 

Swedgin

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Poeltl obviously is perfect, but I think Brad would balk at a price that included a 1st; #1 unprotecting the 2028 swap makes some sense, but don't want to start a holy war.

Gafford and Vanderbilt are interesting fits. Not interested in Bamba.

Theis is slightly washed: he wasn't the same guy in the 2022 playoffs that he was in prior runs. Not interested, and Brad low-key did a good job getting off the rest of his money. Kornet is a slightly better player now imo.
Also worth remembering, that the Celtics are unlikely to be the only team inquiring about Poetl and some of those teams may have a greater need and a larger asset base. The Pelicans desperately need rim protection. They entered this season with (perhaps unreasonably) high expectations. Zion's defense is no longer league worst, but its still pretty bad. If the Pels are going to 1) play Zion and 2) win - they need to put a high level defender next to him. Jonas has his virtues but defense is not one of them.
 

kazuneko

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What about Gallo/PP for Mason Plumlee?
Other than defensive rebounding, I’m not sure that Plumlee brings much to the table that the Cs need. Honestly, Gallo and PP feels like too much to give up for a guy with his skill set.

Also worth remembering, that the Celtics are unlikely to be the only team inquiring about Poetl and some of those teams may have a greater need and a larger asset base. The Pelicans desperately need rim protection. They entered this season with (perhaps unreasonably) high expectations. Zion's defense is no longer league worst, but its still pretty bad. If the Pels are going to 1) play Zion and 2) win - they need to put a high level defender next to him. Jonas has his virtues but defense is not one of them.
Do the Pelicans really see themselves as contenders though? Spurs are apparently asking for two first rounders in exchange for Poeltl. One question is whether or not the Spurs would see PP as equivalent to a first round pick or would be asking for two 1st rounders + PP/Gallo.

https://www.si.com/nba/spurs/.amp/news/san-antonio-jakob-poeltl-trade-rumors-first-round-picks
 

JM3

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Yeahhhh...no one is trading 2 1sts for impending free agent Poeltl. Unless the Spurs are eating a lot of bad long-term money.
 

ManicCompression

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Yeahhhh...no one is trading 2 1sts for impending free agent Poeltl. Unless the Spurs are eating a lot of bad long-term money.
I'm of two minds because I can't imagine that impending FA Poeltl wants to come here to only be an insurance policy. I'm not sure how much of a role he'd have in our playoff rotation when fully healthy because of his free throw issues. Like, how many minutes would he really get if both Al and TL are healthy? Outside of spot opportunities in low leverage moments, probably not a ton

But then, on the other side, Horford is a free agent this summer. Is there value in just getting Poeltl's bird rights? Even with his warts, he'll be one of the better options on the market and likely will sign above the MLE. If the Cs could bring him in house and sign him long term for $12-$14 mil a year, that would be a luxury.

2 firsts is probably too much, but Gallo + PP + a first + removing the top 1 protection on the white trade (the odds of the Cs being the number 1 pick in 2028 with the competence of this FO is prettay, pretttay low) might do it. Maybe that's still too much, but the Cs need a better backup C plan than most teams because of TL's health and he has the best defensive skill set of the options available in the next season/offseason.
 

JM3

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I don't think Poeltl can really play effectively with TL so he doesn't seem like an ideal Horford replacement.

Probably a dumb question, but the Spurs released Gallo - can they even trade for him this season?
 

ManicCompression

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I believe they can. The "no reacquistiion" applies to traded players only I think - like if the Cs traded Danilo to the spurs, the spurs cut him, the Cs could not acquire him.

And I wasn't really imagining Poeltl and TL playing together much - Poeltl would just be a liberally used bench replacement for TL.
 

lovegtm

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I don't think Poeltl can really play effectively with TL so he doesn't seem like an ideal Horford replacement.

Probably a dumb question, but the Spurs released Gallo - can they even trade for him this season?
TL is only going to play 27-30 minutes when healthy, and then probably miss games for injuries and maintenance, and maybe be down for longer periods. Having a starting quality center who takes up 8-11% of the cap is really helpful in that circumstance, and he'd still play 15-20 minutes even in very high-leverage games.
 

JM3

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TL is only going to play 27-30 minutes when healthy, and then probably miss games for injuries and maintenance, and maybe be down for longer periods. Having a starting quality center who takes up 8-11% of the cap is really helpful in that circumstance, and he'd still play 15-20 minutes even in very high-leverage games.
I think there's a bit of disparity in the perceived value of Poeltl in a world where he's supposed to both be worth 2 1sts to trade for to play half a season + bird rights, and he's only getting a $12m to $14m contract.

I don't have an issue with him being on the team...I just think that's too large of an allocation of resources for someone you hope to be playing 15 minutes per game in games that matter, categorically can't shoot from more than 3 feet out & is an awful free throw shooter.
 

benhogan

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Also worth remembering, that the Celtics are unlikely to be the only team inquiring about Poetl and some of those teams may have a greater need and a larger asset base. The Pelicans desperately need rim protection. They entered this season with (perhaps unreasonably) high expectations. Zion's defense is no longer league worst, but its still pretty bad. If the Pels are going to 1) play Zion and 2) win - they need to put a high level defender next to him. Jonas has his virtues but defense is not one of them.
good point, NOLA would be in the discussion, but not many other contenders are in need of a 5

1. We need a few tankers in Jan/Feb to go hog wild over Victor, that are willing to start buying out their 5s to save a few shekels. OR
2. An AD blockbuster trade would help, since several teams would be involved and lead to a robust # of Centers let go. Buy out market would commence OR
3. Find a tanker/rebuilder that values PP, or Begarin, or JD, or Yam or late 1sts or 2nds.

I think there's a bit of disparity in the perceived value of Poeltl in a world where he's supposed to both be worth 2 1sts to trade for to play half a season + bird rights, and he's only getting a $12m to $14m contract.

I don't have an issue with him being on the team...I just think that's too large of an allocation of resources for someone you hope to be playing 15 minutes per game in games that matter, categorically can't shoot from more than 3 feet out & is an awful free throw shooter.
I'd be shocked if Poeltl landed SA 2 firsts, but you never know? Look what a team like the Wolves shelled out for a defense-first Center making the MAX.

Trades are weird in the NBA, if anybody had suggested Boston would get Brogdon for Theis's expensive contract + Aaron Nesmith + a late 1st they would have been laughed off this board.

If you can get Poeltl for PP/Gallo + remove that '28 protection, Brad would probably do it. The Celtics need defense + screen setting from the 5. JP delivers that in spades. Hoping/wishing on TL's health is a coin-toss
 

HomeRunBaker

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Sure. But justified or not, if trading Gallo does in fact make other guys think twice about signing here, that needs to be considered.
I’d have to imagine that every ring chasers realizes that if they aren’t physically able to help ring chase than the Celtics will logically look to add someone who is.
 

kazuneko

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TL is only going to play 27-30 minutes when healthy, and then probably miss games for injuries and maintenance, and maybe be down for longer periods. Having a starting quality center who takes up 8-11% of the cap is really helpful in that circumstance, and he'd still play 15-20 minutes even in very high-leverage games.
I’d think that during the regular season it would actually be most wise to flip that. Timelord can start and play in crunch time but the less minutes he sees in the regular season, the better.
 
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Jimbodandy

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good point, NOLA would be in the discussion, but not many other contenders are in need of a 5

1. We need a few tankers in Jan/Feb to go hog wild over Victor, that are willing to start buying out their 5s to save a few shekels. OR
2. An AD blockbuster trade would help, since several teams would be involved and lead to a robust # of Centers let go. Buy out market would commence OR
3. Find a tanker/rebuilder that values PP, or Begarin, or JD, or Yam or late 1sts or 2nds.


I'd be shocked if Poeltl landed SA 2 firsts, but you never know? Look what a team like the Wolves shelled out for a defense-first Center making the MAX.

Trades are weird in the NBA, if anybody had suggested Boston would get Brogdon for Theis's expensive contract + Aaron Nesmith + a late 1st they would have been laughed off this board.

If you can get Poeltl for PP/Gallo + remove that '28 protection, Brad would probably do it. The Celtics need defense + screen setting from the 5. JP delivers that in spades. Hoping/wishing on TL's health is a coin-toss
Yep. Poeltl is not a "worth two first rounders" player per se. But he is a "if you're desperate for a center but way over the cap already and don't want to pay 75MM or something ridiculous for that one missing piece, the price is two firsts" kind of player. Him making only 9M instead of 25M helps teams that don't want to pay "hope you're not too attached to those thumbs" vig.
 

bosockboy

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TL is only going to play 27-30 minutes when healthy, and then probably miss games for injuries and maintenance, and maybe be down for longer periods. Having a starting quality center who takes up 8-11% of the cap is really helpful in that circumstance, and he'd still play 15-20 minutes even in very high-leverage games.
I’d even commit to Rob as an impact second unit guy for the rest of this season. Keep his minutes down and let Poeltl start.
 
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lovegtm

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I’d think that during the regular season it would actually be most wise to flip that. Timelord can start and play in crunch time but the less minutes he sees in the regular season, the better.
If this is the case, they really need to invest in the 2nd center position.
 

benhogan

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Wish Brad had kept the 15th spot open and thrown athletic big man, Charles Bassey into the mix when he was cut by the 76ers. . Brad could have even saved a few dollars and rostered JDD and put Bassey on a 2-way (yea I know we have Kabengele)

Bassey gets my annual 15th-man Binky Award if @wade boggs chicken dinner is keeping score;)

https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/sixers-roster-news-charles-bassey-20221113.html
Ten internet points for you!

(BTW, twitter was talking about how well Romeo and Bassey play defense together; well that was before Romeo caught COVID again. . . .).
 

benhogan

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Ten internet points for you!

(BTW, twitter was talking about how well Romeo and Bassey play defense together; well that was before Romeo caught COVID again. . . .).
exchangeable into FTT coins?

Is anyone keeping an eye on Kabengele?

Vonleh is a moving screen every trip down the floor and Luke struggles against a 5-wide team like OKC (or Toronto). Beef 5s.

A frontcourt player that could move their feet while we wait for PTL to heal will be the finishing touch to this roster.
 

TripleOT

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exchangeable into FTT coins?

Is anyone keeping an eye on Kabengele?

Vonleh is a moving screen every trip down the floor and Luke struggles against a 5-wide team like OKC (or Toronto). Beef 5s.

A frontcourt player that could move their feet while we wait for PTL to heal will be the finishing touch to this roster.
I watched a little bit of the G league team to watch Kabengele and JJD. Kabengele is a live body big who dunks and block shots. He’s blasting GLeague competition, shooting 70/37.5/100% for 18.7 ppg and 10.3 rpg. He has a really high motor for part of the game, and then he tends to fade away for a lot of it, and much of that could be because of the guard play in that league. He averages 4 turnovers a game, and doesn’t set great picks. That’s probably why CBS and Mazzulla chose to go with veteran bigs.

I don’t know if he’s going to get a shot with this team. He might’ve been better off on a team without such high expectations, where he could just play back up minutes and block shots and dunk.
 

benhogan

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I watched a little bit of the G league team to watch Kabengele and JJD. Kabengele is a live body big who dunks and block shots. He’s blasting GLeague competition, shooting 70/37.5/100% for 18.7 ppg and 10.3 rpg. He has a really high motor for part of the game, and then he tends to fade away for a lot of it, and much of that could be because of the guard play in that league. He averages 4 turnovers a game, and doesn’t set great picks. That’s probably why CBS and Mazzulla chose to go with veteran bigs.

I don’t know if he’s going to get a shot with this team. He might’ve been better off on a team without such high expectations, where he could just play back up minutes and block shots and dunk.
Thanks for the update

I was hoping Kabengele could potentially be that athletic bench BIG? but he doesn't seem to have CJM's confidence, even when BOS was desperate for upfront help the other night in Detroit

The C's got exposed defensively by 5 wide. Either OKC ran out of gas on the 2nd night of a road back-to-back or the Celtics turned up their D in the 2nd half. Either way, didn't like how easily OKC scored in the first half. November game, so nothing to get worked up about BUT Toronto games will be interesting
 

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Either OKC ran out of gas on the 2nd night of a road back-to-back or the Celtics turned up their D in the 2nd half. Either way, didn't like how easily OKC scored in the first half. November game, so nothing to get worked up about BUT Toronto games will be interesting
I think that the Cs turned up the focus in the second half for sure, but I wouldn't discount the Celtics also being fresher. At the time, I was surprised that CJM was milking so many minutes out of White. The depth helps there.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Jan 15, 2004
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I’d think that during the regular season it would actually be most wise to flip that. Timelord can start and play in crunch time but the less minutes he sees in the regular season, the better.
I mentioned the other day how I’d prefer bringing him off the bench as the better way to both manage his minutes while not affecting the offensive flow and spacing that the first unit gains without him. There isn’t a need for him to play much more than Kornet minutes in the regular season. What is the goal here?
 

TripleOT

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Jul 4, 2007
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I mentioned the other day how I’d prefer bringing him off the bench as the better way to both manage his minutes while not affecting the offensive flow and spacing that the first unit gains without him. There isn’t a need for him to play much more than Kornet minutes in the regular season. What is the goal here?
Starting TL, to put the clamps on the other team’s offense so they don’t get comfortable scoring, is preferable to me. They will still be enough offense out there to get 30+ points in the first quarter
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
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Nov 2, 2007
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I mentioned the other day how I’d prefer bringing him off the bench as the better way to both manage his minutes while not affecting the offensive flow and spacing that the first unit gains without him. There isn’t a need for him to play much more than Kornet minutes in the regular season. What is the goal here?
Agreed, kid gloves with both TL and Horford. Grant playing/starting at the 4 helps with the "shrink wrap"

Hopefully, JOE will have banked enough wins to not feel the pressure of extending TL/Al.

Brad adding a 3rd Center/front court player (better than Luke/Vonleh) that can sop up regular season minutes would be helpful
 

benhogan

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Nov 2, 2007
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I think that the Cs turned up the focus in the second half for sure, but I wouldn't discount the Celtics also being fresher. At the time, I was surprised that CJM was milking so many minutes out of White. The depth helps there.
White is criminally underrated. He does so many of the proverbial "little things" that don't show up in the box score. I've called the Brogdon trade a heist but I'm starting to feel that White was the real heist (regardless of SWAP algos going haywire)
 

Jimbodandy

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Jan 31, 2006
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White is criminally underrated. He does so many of the proverbial "little things" that don't show up in the box score. I've called the Brogdon trade a heist but I'm starting to feel that White was the real heist (regardless of SWAP algos going haywire)
Oh yeah, White does a ton of the little things really well on both ends of the court. I guess what I'm saying is that the ability to milk real minutes out of 8 guys and starter's minutes out of 6 guys allows them to turn things up in the fourth because nobody is on empty. Depth isn't just good for injuries and load management. It really occurred to me Monday night that one of CJMs strategies is to use the bench as much as possible, even in close games where his team is basically down 10 for most of the first three quarters. There's value in that.
 

pjheff

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Jan 4, 2003
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White is criminally underrated. He does so many of the proverbial "little things" that don't show up in the box score. I've called the Brogdon trade a heist but I'm starting to feel that White was the real heist (regardless of SWAP algos going haywire)
I remember the summer before last the collective longing for a PG like White or Brogdon and the consensus that such an acquisition could not be completed without including Marcus. Then Brad Stevens acquired both of them in five months while keeping Smart.