Celtics Need Stars With Flaws, Not Going To Get ‘Perfect’ Player

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/05/25/jones-celtics-need-stars-with-flaws-not-going-to-get-perfect-player/



Jones: Celtics Need Stars With Flaws, Not Going To Get ‘Perfect’ Player



May 25, 2016 8:27 AM




BOSTON (CBS) — Kevin Love may be falling out of favor in Cleveland with the Cavaliers. Could he be on the move for the second time in his career? And if he does end up with a new team, could that be in Boston?

Adam Jones and Rich Keefe went over the problems surrounding Love in Cleveland and his apparent issues with LeBron James. They believe the Cavaliers are setting him up to be traded in the offseason. They acknowledge that the talented Love is also flawed, particularly with his toughness and defensive play.

However, Jones says Celtics fans should be ready to accept a flawed player if the Celtics are to acquire a star. They need a head case like DeMarcus Cousins or Blake Griffin, or someone like Love who has been accused of being “soft.”


“Because it’s not [Kevin] Durant, it’s not [Stephen] Curry, it’s not LeBron, and it’s not a borderline perfect player, Celtics fans don’t want him,” Jones said. “[The Celtics] are not going to be able to get a player if there isn’t an imperfection or some type of issue there. Whether it is attitudinal, whether it is a toughness issue on the floor, you’re not going to get a player who is perfect. Those guys don’t move and they’re not going to come to Boston, so you need to roll the dice on one of these players.”

Jones ultimately believes that, even with his flaws, Love would become the best player on the Celtics and coach Brad Stevens would use him right. He also acknowledged that the Celtics and Cavaliers don’t make sense right now as trade partners and would need a third team to get a deal done.


bob



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please no...please.

Hi,
Love would be a perfect player for Celtics if they can substitute him every time they go on defense.

AK

I agree with the author of the article in that the Cs are not going to be able to trade for any one of the very few "perfect" players. They are going to have to accept a star with at least one flaw.

Of Love, Cousins, Griffin (nd others), I clearly see Cousins as the absolute best of the lot for the Cs. First, he is not even in his prime years yet, is already a 25 and 12 guy, is signed for two more years at about $15 M which is only a little bit more than Amir Johnson got this year, is the best big man in the NBA, can shoot from outside, plays very solid defense and is a willing rebounder. He also happens to play a position that will dramatically change our successes in the Eastern Conference more than any other player in the league who is not one of the perfect stars.

Yes, he has had emotional issues while in Sacremento, but many of those issues could be directly tied to the total mess that has been the franchise out there since he arrived and was asked to be the team's best player and leader at 20 years old. Even Larry Bird was not asked to lead a franchise at 20.

A playoff team with a great head coach, a good group of assistant coaches, a solid core of very team oriented and dedicated players might just be what this guy needs to shine even more than he already has.

If he is acquired and blows up, he will still be very tradeable.

I certainly agree that Cousins, Butler or George would be a game changer here. I doubt right now that any of them are really on the market.

But what do you think would be an offer that would make Divac give up Cousins?

The third pick in the draft for sure along with at least one more first rounder this year or the ability to get the Nets option for next year. Young, Rozier or Mickey and Amir Johnson to make the salaries work.

The two first round picks are the prizes with Rozier or Mickey (perhaps even both?) as potential starters as well. Young just to get rid of him while giving him a chance to surface somewhere else. Putting Johnson in the deal makes salaries works, but we may have to take back another player as well to help the Kings manage their roster numbers.

The Kings trading Cousins would mean that they are going back to square one and start their rebuild pretty much all over again. This could be why they do not trade him, but also is why they probably should trade him as they have gone absolutely no where since drafting him due to their myriad of administrative problems over his tenure in Sacramento.

I don't see the #3 pick and #16 pick along with Amir (who is overpaid at $12m by anyone's account) and two rookies who played a combined what 400 minutes last year as getting Cousins.

WAY to one sided in my mind.

you'll need 2-3 first rounder's (not all this year)and one or two starters/rotation players from our roster to get Divac to take your call....at least in my opinion.

Isn't Noah an unrestricted free agent coming off a season ending injury and at least a couple of years of injuries?

Could he be signed for cheap, or semi cheap money, or will there be teams willing to overpay? I suspect the latter but if not I'd like to sign him up for a couple of years.

Age 31 IF healthy again should still be able to bring something helpful to the table, no?

I personally think Noahs body is breaking down now. Not sure how many games or minutes he can be expected to play anymore in a season.

I saw a rumor that he may like to play for Thibs at Minny though. makes sense a vet backup to Towns there.

The article is wrong.

The Celtics do not have to accept a flawed star.  The Celtics can continue to build the team because they have draft picks and a lot of them.  This is not the team that lost 18 straight under the leadership of the infamous yo-yo master.  There should be no urgency to sell our souls to the devil. Cause him come calling to collect the debt.

Dboss

bobc33 wrote:Isn't Noah an unrestricted free agent coming off a season ending injury and at least a couple of years of injuries?

Could he be signed for cheap, or semi cheap money, or will there be teams willing to overpay?  I suspect the latter but if not I'd like to sign him up for a couple of years.

Age 31 IF healthy again should still be able to bring something helpful to the table, no?

Definitely. Everybody thought the Celtics overpaid for Amir Johnson, who was supposed to be washed up, but he was great value for the Cs and the team would have been lost without him.

And signing a guy like Noah to a 2 year, 12 million per year contract like Amir's could turn out to be a much better signing than getting Al Horford for 4 years at 20+ million per year. Especially by years 3 and 4 of Horford's deal.

dboss,
I have to agree 100% with you there. Of course the definition of a "flawed" star may be in question. Danny gets paid the big bucks to deterime IF said player is worth what he has to give up to get him.

I honestly feel THIS off-season coudl be Dannys MOST challenging.

Rambone I agree about a short term deal for an older vet over being tied up on a longer term deal with Horford. You guys all know I prefer Noah's teamate Gasol in that case though.

kdp,

Great point about this being Ainge's most challenging summer. He has salary cap space for perhaps the first time in his time as GM, currently, actually, too many draft picks, tradeable contracts, a great coaching staff that everyone can see, and the team is clearly on the upswing with getting to the playoffs in the last two years.

All of his assets certainly make it very difficult to predict his actions, and I am sure that all of these assets are already keeping him awake most nights.

What "perfect" star would be available, at any price?

To me, this article is a "duh" moment. We have to accept a flawed superstar? Really!? No!!!

Duh.


bob


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