Bass Feeling Squeezed

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4716681/bass-feeling-squeeze-of-cs-crowded-roster

He did not actually say that.  That is the media.

It is perplexing to me that Coach Stevens has reduced his minutes significantly.

Bass has been a very consistent player for the Celtics.  He will probbaly be traded by February and/or gone after the season ends.

I think Bass deserves better than he is getting.  

I do not want to read one thing about how the Celtics are playing Wright to showcase him for a possible trade.  Wright does not need to be showcased.  He has been in the league for 6 years.  

Stevens is marginalizing this situation.  Why take 20 minutes and divide that time between Bass and Wright?  Stevens needs to stop fishing around in a pond where there are no fish.  Get the rotation in order.  At this point I would expect that he can see who does what.

dboss

There is no question that Bass has seen his minutes drop even though his production remains just about as it was when figuring stats by the per minute concept.

This is not his fault, but rather is part of the rebuild where the roster is pretty full of young guys who also happen to play his position.

A trade is very likely, I would think, but until it happens or one of the young guys gets injured Bass will probably not see his minutes increase to where he would like them.

He has been a true pro while in Boston, has not caused any trouble, but just right now plays the wrong position. I certainly wish that he was a center.

wide clyde wrote:There is no question that Bass has seen his minutes drop even though his production remains just about as it was when figuring stats by the per minute concept.

This is not his fault, but rather is part of the rebuild where the roster is pretty full of young guys who also happen to play his position.

A trade is very likely, I would think, but until it happens or one of the young guys gets injured Bass will probably not see his minutes increase to where he would like them.

He has been a true pro while in Boston, has not caused any trouble, but just right now plays the wrong position.  I certainly wish that he was a center.

Clyde,

3 more inches, to get him from 6'8" to 6'11" and he'd be our starting center.



bob



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bob,

Exactly.  And, we would be very happy with him doing just what you mentioned as he is hard working, very effective, professional basketball player who is certainly playing with a very manageable salary.

dboss,

As I've writtten elsewhere, "showcasing" is a strategy that it utilized FAR less frequently than many fans think. One reason is that a player who may not have played a lot of minutes leading up to the showcasing can be rusty or play lousy for other reasons; there's no guarantee that he'll shine during a relatively brief showcasing period. With rare exceptions, showcasing is not a term that is used by fans who are learning the game and latching onto any "catch" words they can find.

Recently, I've been calling Green the most consistent Celtic. Obviously, I overlooked Bass, whom I call "Steady Eddie." The guy is a machine with passion. But this is a window during which the Celtics have to find out, as best they can, how each player in the roster fits into plans beyond the trade deadline. They already know what they have in Bass, and it makes sense to give guys like Sully and Kelly (each of whom has been up and down) more minutes to prove themselves one way or the other.

Sam

Sam

Wright is long and athletic (a rarity on this team) But if coach wants to really evaluate him he needs to play him more minutes.  I do not think it is fair to sit Bass but if he gives Wright the 20 minutes or so to see what he can do that makes sense.

10 MPG makes no sense for either Bass or Wright.

KO has really turned the corner and him and Sully seem to be going in opposite directions.  Sully's MPG have decreased from a 30 to 25.5 (December)  His scoring average has dropped from 16.2 PPG to 10.6 PPG, rebound down from 8.8 to 7.2

KO is playing the same minutes 25.7 MPG but his scoring is up from 10 PPG to 13.4 PPG and his shot blocking is 1.1 blocks per game.  his rebounding numbrs are virtually the same.  He is taking 2 more shots per game.  So what we are seeing is more agressiveness by Kelly at both ends of the court.

I have seen games where Sully was playing well early and did not get many minutes in the 2nd half.  That is a coaching decision unless Sully is not 100%.

Neither Sully or KO are defensive stoppers but KO does look to be the better defender.

As much as we spend time contemplating our center position, that spot has been surprisingly good with Zeller in the starting lineup.  I think the biggest issue that we have is at the PF spot.  I think KO can start at PF as a true stretch 4 and i think that Jared's lack of speed, quickness and below the rim play could send him back to the bench.  In either case we need a PF that can at the very least, defend his position.  Wright has not played enough for us to determine if he is that guy.

dboss