One roster spot to fill, who should we do with it?

We now have one roster spot open.  What should we do?  Should we sign Jabari Bird or let him stay on a two way contract?  Should we sign another available free agent at the vet minimum, like Greg Monroe or maybe Jahlil Okafor?  How about old friend, Tyler Zeller?

Or should we just wait?

Here is a list of centers, for a reference.  I'm not sure it is up to date:



Here is a list of power forwards, for a reference.  I'm not sure it is up to date:



Here is a link to other positions, for reference:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-salaries/nba-free-agents-2018-2019/

What do you think?

Probably keep it open. It'd be interesting if they signed James Nunnally

For reference:

Guards:  Kyrie, Jaylen, TRo, Smart, Wanamaker.

Wings:  Hayward, Tatum, Morris, Semi, Yabby

Bigs:  Al, Baynes, Theis, Robert Williams.



bob



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I see no way Bird signs another two way contact. We either sign him to a standard contract or he moves on.

This is a good question, the Monroe era I think is over, Jahil still intrigues me I could see him turning around under Grand Wizard Stevens and Bird has earned a better deal than a 2 way (are there 3 ways?).

On the other hand I could see the wisdom of leaving a door open for someone being bought out by a team that is a mess and the team wants to save some money and the player wants to win a title (LeBron James & the Lakers in march for example).

I do sort of expect to see something happen to Morris, and his time could be coming to an end once everyone is up and running at 100% and barring no further injuries. But the same issue that plagued Marcus Smart would be an issue come trading time, whose left that could just absorb salary? There's other options, say doing a deal for a ungaruanteed contract, or a trade and buyout..

What happens to him I think would have a barring on whether or not i'd want to fill spot number 15.

I don't want to waste the last position on Bird.  I believe the Monroe train has left the station.  I listed Zeller for two reasons; one serious (he knows our system and would be 3rd or 4th center, depth wise) and one not so serious (I want Cow to , well, have a cow   ).

I am stuck between signing Jahlil Okafor or wait until later in the season to pick up a player.

I believe that we will have another roster spot open later in the season anyway.  That is because sometime around the trade deadline we will trade Morris to a contending team in the west for a second round pick and a TPE to get back under the tax line.  We can find a cheaper alternative that fulfils a specific need at that time.

I will go with sign Okafor now.

I do not think Robert Williams will be ready this season to help us in the playoffs.  I think the potential for Okafor to be coached up in our system for the entire season will help us in the playoffs and beyond.  Okafor is Monroe's replacement, except he still has hops and is cheaper at the vet min.

gyso

PS: NYCelt and Cow, I still owe you guys a poll about Robert "I missed my flight, I forgot to set my alarm, I forgot my wallet (the list is growing)" Williams and what he will provide for the Celtics this season.  We wanted to make a friendly wager on the results, a beer of one's choice when we perhaps get together this spring.  Since Williams did not get any playing time in the summer league, I think I'll postpone the thread until just after training camp.  That way, we and anyone else that wants to get in on the action can make a better informed choice.

I am not sure who Ainge will sign to fill the 15th spot, but I think that he will fill the spot rather than leave it empty for later use as his history (or, maybe it is Stevens?) is to have a full roster.  

I liked the athleticism that Bird has shown, but can understand the idea of still looking for an extra center type guy.  Whomever the 15th guy may be he has to be able to fit in without causing any friction about playing time or touches.  Zeller did this well and I guess so did Monroe, but either guy will have to wait around to see what Williams can do in his rookie year.  It would make no sense not to give Williams some time early in the year if he is at all close to being able to contribute.

In fact, I cannot remember even once when Ainge did not have a full roster at the beginning of the season even before Stevens arrived.  He may like to have the extra body around for practices.  Of course, if the 15th guy is a young guy the player gets plenty of development.  If the 15th guy is older, he gets plenty of time to learn the systems.

Of course, the 15 man roster concept is fairly new, but there really are no reasons (player wise) for not having a full group.  The benefits of carrying only 14 would only be for financial reasons, and just not having a 15th guy would not get the team under the cap by itself.

sign Bird to a 2 year deal, second year either non-guaranteed or team option. Helps to hedge out bets for 2019 when Rozier and Irving are both FA's.

roster then:

Ball-handlers" Irving, Smart, Rozier, Wannamaker

Wings: Hayward, Tatum, Brown, Bird

Swings: Morris, Semi, Yabusele

Bigs: Horford, Baynes, Theis, the Rookie

Leave it open.

We expect to go into the season 100% healthy.

Fingers crossed it stays that way but we all know what happened last season.

Rather than signing what amounts to perhaps the 4th or 5th deep in a depth chart I say keep it open as long as possible.

Gives us the chance to fill s need when/ if it occurs and also gives us the flexibility to grab a veteran down the road too...... if needed.

beat

I'd leave it open, unless I could sign J Okafor (so I voted sign Okafor).

We still need bigs, and he would be worth a look.

Guessing Yabusele departs soon anyway, so more roster changes.

(gyso; I agree...poll later. But I'd be happy to buy you and Cow a beer regardless.)

Sorry guys Okafor is a bust, can score a little down low, but cannot rebound or defend at this level, he was given a shot on Nets, then got very little playing time. A young rookie center that I cannot recall his name, but had more intangibles, and dirty work ability beat him out. Just like Brad couldn’t get anything out of James Young, don’t see enough intangibles in Okafor at all....he’s running out of chances. Centers that defend like Okafor, Monroe, KO, Zeller are not worth a roster spot IMHO.

I don't understand why so many people are so Hell-fired up to get rid of Yabby.

He's only 22 years old.  He was 21 last season.
He was a rookie.  Rookies are usually underwhelming.
He was on a team with HEALTHY depth at his position.  He wasn't on the depth chart behind Theis or Kyrie.  Tatum and Morris, with 3-and-D minutes for Semi and Yabby's 4th.  

I don't think Danny can, nor will, trade Yabby.  His contract isn't big enough to make a difference.

We traded Chauncey Billups and Joe Johnson in their rookie years.  Big mistakes.  That was before Danny's time as GM but he knows the story.  Reading from afar, it sounds like Yabby did enough in summer league to get an invite to camp even if he wasn't already under contract.


bob


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I thought Yabby was sloppy and out of shape the first three gAMES BUT CAME ON STRONG THE LAST TWO.

bobheckler wrote:I don't understand why so many people are so Hell-fired up to get rid of Yabby.

He's only 22 years old.  He was 21 last season.
He was a rookie.  Rookies are usually underwhelming.
He was on a team with HEALTHY depth at his position.  He wasn't on the depth chart behind Theis or Kyrie.  Tatum and Morris, with 3-and-D minutes for Semi and Yabby's 4th.  

I don't think Danny can, nor will, trade Yabby.  His contract isn't big enough to make a difference.

We traded Chauncey Billups and Joe Johnson in their rookie years.  Big mistakes.  That was before Danny's time as GM but he knows the story.  Reading from afar, it sounds like Yabby did enough in summer league to get an invite to camp even if he wasn't already under contract.


bob


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+ 1

Cut Yabusele loose and go after Okafor?  Seriously?

jrleftfoot wrote:Cut Yabusele loose and go after Okafor?  Seriously?

I think for an end of the bench out of the rotation option, why not Okafor?  Especially at the vet minimum.  I think Brad can coach him up to rotational value.  He only has to learn defense to do that.  He has to put the effort in, knowing that if he doesn't get it done this time, there may never be another.  I just consider him to be a low cost high gain project while we wait for Williams to get his act together.  I am only talking Monroe minutes here with the possibility of more later on if he earns it.

Given time, even Gerald Green learned how to play defense.  If he can do it, so can Okafor.

Personally, I think it is too late [edit: early, not late] to give up on Yabusele.  He does have to drop a pound or 20.  He is too short to play big and with the weight he is carrying, he is not quick enough to play small.  Again, were are talking about a currently out of the rotation player.  If he works hard, maybe can find himself some playing time, but the clock is ticking.

There is nothing going on now, at least for a couple of months.  We are just filling in the dead time talking about the end of the bench, like it actually is important.  This is where cray-cray lives.  So it's all good.

gyso

gyso,

I have to at least somewhat disagree with your thoughts on defense with both Yabusele and Gerald Green.

Green was in pro ball for around 10 years before coming back to Boston so he did have a long time to gain some defensive experience, but he still was below average upon returning in my opinion.  He was a good offensive player and a very nice "feel good" story, but still not a good defender.  He also is still a sub par defender in Houston.

Yabusele, much less experienced than Green, may be on his way out of the NBA probably because of his defense which is sub standard.  In addition, his size and height are also a concern for me on an NBA roster as he is truly a dreaded "tweener".  As I have mentioned before, I am not sure that any guy goes from not getting "it" on defense to getting "it" later on.  This is not the same as just being able to get a guy to work harder and hustle more, it is an understanding issue.  James Young, unfortunately, is/was a similar player.

This brings me to Okafor.  He can score at the low post even if the league has seemingly moved way past those skills by themselves at the center position, but like Monroe showed us last year low post scoring by itself cannot keep a guy on the floor against good teams in the playoffs.

This guy has had two different NBA teams take chances on him and he failed both times with the second failure worse than the first.  There has to be a reason why such a high pick has failed so miserably to date.  I just do not see him improving to the point of being able to do more than Monroe could do for the Cs last season even if he were to move up on the roster from the 15th spot.

This is not to pick on Monroe because I fully believed that Monroe was going to be an asset last year when the Cs signed him, but he just couldn't play enough defense when it was most necessary.  Williams, as a rookie, may well be much better by late in the season.

Wideclyde,

You may be right about Green.  I just assumed that because Brad had given him important playing time in the playoffs, he had improved in that area.

I am hoping that Yabusele can lose a few pounds and get a little quicker.  Then he won't be such a tweener.  I don't want to give up on him so soon, but time may prove you right.

Monroe ended up not even producing on the offensive end.  He has no hops left and couldn't get over the rim.  I am hoping that Okafor can actually produce the offense that Monroe failed to create.  

I believe that for the cost of a vet min contract, Okafor should be given one last chance.  Other coaches may not have been able to reach his inner BB ability, maybe Brad and company could bring it out.

I don't expect Williams to produce at the NBA level this season, so I think we could use Okafor in the meantime.

gyso

Speaking only for myself, cut Yabusele loose and sign Okafor (or someone similar)? Yes. Without a second thought.

I have nothing against Yabusele, I've just never thought he's an NBA level player. A couple of summer league games against rosters stacked with players that will never play an NBA game isn't much of an indicator to me. Yabby should have a nice career overseas, and he seems like such a good guy, I would root for him to make a bundle doing so. Against NBA competition, however, he's too slow, not very agile, despite claims he was, and too inconsistent offensively to take up a roster spot. Draymond Green V2 he did not turn out to be. I understand and even applaud the gamble, but time to part ways and pick up some more depth. Especially a big.

Okafor, on the other hand, has yet to get a significant shot at the NBA game. Part injury, and part former Philly dysfunction, I don't think we've really seen his game yet. We do know he can score and provide a low-post presence in doing so. We have enough complimentary scoring from the outside to afford a look there. We've got defense covered, too, so the luxury of carrying him as an inside scoring force could pay dividends. If he can be had a relatively miniscule vet minimum, why not?

Ok Gyso and NYCELT. You have convinced me. Sign Okafor.

worcester wrote:Ok Gyso and NYCELT. You have convinced me. Sign Okafor.

I have enabled "vote cancelling", so you can cancel your vote for Greg Monroe and re-vote.

Never would vote for Monroe.

worcester wrote:Never would vote for Monroe.

Sorry, just a joke.

Yes. He was.