Celtics interested in Mo Bamba

https://nesn.com/2018/05/nba-rumors-celtics-eyeing-mo-bamba-could-swing-draft-trade-for-texas-star/

f you thought the Boston Celtics’ offseason would be completely uneventful, you don’t know Danny Ainge. The Celtics have expressed interest in top 2018 NBA Draft prospect Mo Bamba and interviewed the Texas star two weeks ago at the pre-draft combine in Chicago, Sporting News’ Sean Deveney reported Wednesday, citing sources. Landing Bamba would require a draft-day trade, as the 20-year-old is expected to be selected no later than No. 6 overall by the Orlando Magic and could go as high as No. 3 to the Atlanta Hawks, per Deveney. Boston owns the No. 27 overall pick in this year’s draft. So, what would the Celtics need to give up to acquire a top-six pick? According to Deveney, they’d likely need to part with either Jaylen Brown or Terry Rozier, as well as their No. 27 pick in this year’s draft and at least one of their 2019 selections. Boston currently owns the Sacramento Kings’ first-round pick (protected for the No. 1 overall pick) and the Memphis Grizzlies’ first-rounder, which is top-8 protected. Parting ways with the 21-year-old Brown, who more than doubled his scoring output during his second NBA season while blossoming into a legitimate, two-way NBA starter, seems like a steep price to pay for the C’s. But the possibility of trading Rozier is intriguing: If Boston re-signs restricted free agent Marcus Smart, the 24-year-old point guard could be the odd man out in a crowded backcourt with Kyrie Irving returning to the fold. The Celtics also may need an interior presence with Aron Baynes and Greg Monroe hitting free agency. Bamba’s 7-foot-10 wingspan is the longest ever recorded at the NBA combine, and he averaged a double-double (12.9 points, 10.4 rebounds per game) while blocking 3.7 shots per game during his only season with the Longhorns.

Read more at: https://nesn.com/2018/05/nba-rumors-celtics-eyeing-mo-bamba-could-swing-draft-trade-for-texas-star/

Rozier, their number 27 pick, and then their own pick (top 5 protected) and the Grizz pick in 2019. Get it done.

I vote no on this just because I don't want to deal with all the creative ways you will find to say MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  

mulcogiseng wrote:I vote no on this just because I don't want to deal with all the creative ways you will find to say MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  

lmao - c'mon, I can't wait to hear what Tommy does with that name...

I don't have a clue as to just how highly the Celtic brass rate Bamba and what I think matters even less - but I will point out that Auerbach traded a 2 time college all american draft pick and 4 time All nba player for Bill Russell - a deal that many thought to be a very poor deal from a Celtic point of view. Who knows what Danny and friends are thinking ?

    swish

Is he an extremely large slow plodder, like Fab Melo or does he have any lateral quickness?

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/mohamed-bamba


NBA Comparison: Rudy Gobert

Strengths: A truly elite physical specimen in terms of length, Mohamed Bamba jumps off the page with his 7'9'' wingspan and 9'6'' standing reach ... This kind of size allowed him to immediately burst on to the NCAA scene as an elite rim protector with the measurables to translate this skill to the NBA ... Blocking 3.7 shots per game during his regular season stint at Texas doesn't even take into account the countless shots he altered or drive attempts he thwarted ... Timing is a part of this, as he only averaged 2.4 fouls per contest at the college level ... His lateral quickness is also very good for a player who measures in at 7 feet tall. This makes him a capable pick and roll defender and someone who roam the entire paint area with little effort ... From a rebounding standpoint, his 10.4 boards per game as a freshman is well above average, and despite his narrow frame he held his own pretty well in the paint against stronger opponents ... While Bamba will always be a lean player, he does have wide shoulders and looks to be able to add muscle ... His 3.2 offensive rebounds per contest is also a very good indicator of timing around the rim ... Mo Bamba's offensive game is probably a little further along than you might initially think ... He is a 67.8% free throw shooter, and has a nice high release and good backspin on his shot ... In an era when long, defensive bigs are often poor free throw shooters, Mo appears to have the foundation to be pretty good at the charity stripe ... His jump shot is also showing signs of life as Bamba shot 28% from the college 3 point line, and showed to be capable from the elbow, while showing decent shot selection ... While his jumper and 3 point shot are not exactly calling cards at this point in his development, I'd still call his foundation as a shooter an strength overall ... He's also a decent ball handler for a big man, and has shown some impressive glimpses of his length and athleticism when putting the ball on the deck and driving past and then dunking on defenders ... He plays with fire, and at the college level when he gets good position and is close to the rim he's extremely tough to stop ... Bamba definitely projects as a defender first at the next level, but he has the pieces in place , with continued development, to be a force on offense as well ... An extremely bright individual, if not for basketball, he had Ivy league grades and credentials entering college ...

Weaknesses: As obvious is as length is, it's also not hard to notice he'll need to continue to add strength to play the paint in the next level ... At the 2017 Hoop Summit, he only weighed in at 216 pounds ... Ideally, you'd like to see Bamba at least around 240 in a year or two, or possibly 250 ... I think those weights are achievable for him judging by his length, and how he's added muscle since high school ... His awareness with his back to the basket and in the paint on offense is a work in progress too ... He'll need to continue to work on his awareness of spacing and cutting players, as well as adjusting to double teams and pressure from guards ... When he's feeling it offensively, he could take over a game at the college level, but he could also be too passive when he'd get bothered ... Restraint is good from a team game perspective, but with his physical tools he should have been more aggressive at times while playing for the Longhorns ... A solid athlete, but much of his wow factor is due to length and not explosiveness or leaping ability ...

Overall: Bamba is truly an elite physical talent with a wingspan and standing reach that don't come along often ... He figures to be a capable rebounder and rim protector at the NBA level from day one. This alone gives him one of the highest floors in this draft, with an extremely high ceiling as well ... His defensive potential paired with growth as a player, added girth, and experience could render him one of the best defensive bigs in the game for years to come ... The fact he has a nice looking jumper and is already starting to get good results from the free throw line and in game situations at such a young age can make him an asset in terms of spacing as well ... If he's able to piece together all the areas of his offensive game, he actually has the potential to be a legit offensive NBA player while still being a defense first guy ...



http://www.nbascoutingreport.net/player-profiles-mo-bamba.html


Data courtesy CBB at Sports-Reference.com.

Measurements
7'0" 207 lbs 7'9" wingspan 19 years old
Strengths
Size/Length (excellent)
Defense
Athleticism (solid)
Upside (high)
Rebounding
Offensive potential
IQ (highly intelligent person)
Weaknesses
Motor/Effort level (could improve)
Strength (thin frame @ 225 lbs)
Shot selection
Aggressiveness
Turnovers
Efficiency
Limited offensively
Write Up
Bamba is another high potential/upside prospect in this year’s draft. His greatest strength is his enormous 7’9” wingspan, which allows him to block shots, catch rebounds at their high point, and finish over defenders. He’ll have the longest wingspan in the NBA once drafted. Even though his length tends to exaggerate his athleticism, he’s still a solid-good overall athlete. He’s fairly bouncy in space and has a good top end speed in transition. He has good lateral quickness (when engaged) and shows the ability/willingness to switch onto smaller players in P/R situations. He’s slowly expanding his game offensively and has shown the ability to stretch the floor and take defenders in the post. He has incredible upside and is by all accounts a highly intelligent person on/off the court. He projects to be more of a long-term project, but could possibly end up being the best big man from this class when it’s all said and done.

However, if Bamba is to take advantage of his physical gifts he needs to become more aggressive both offensively and defensively. He tends to float in and out of games and fails to assert himself too often. He’s a lock down defender when engaged, but tends to give up ground in the post due to lack of strength or shows poor effort/gets lost in P/R situations. Offensively he’s shown some good skills, but tends to float more on the wing then desired. Due to his lack of lower body strength he struggles to create space or power through contact in the post. He shows nice moves when patient, but struggles with his touch when he has to make a quick decision. Lastly, he needs to learn how to value the ball more as he’s an easy target for double teams and puts the ball in dangerous spots during his moves. Overall, Bamba should be worthy of a top 7 pick as he possesses rare skills that could make him one of the more valuable bigs in 3-5 years.


http://www.nbadraftroom.com/2016/03/mohamed-bamba.html

Overview
A long, lean center who has elite length with a 7-10 wingspan and 9-7 standing reach. Bamba projects as a potential top 5 pick and he'll be one of the most intriguing prospects to watch as his game catches up to his length and athleticism.

Strengths
Has an intriguing combination of size, length and leaping ability and projects as a really good rim protector at the next level. He's a very good weak side defender who blocks a lot of shots on help defense.

Has good form on his jumper and is beginning to expand his game. Can hit jumpers out to the 3 point line and is a very difficult to defend on the perimeter due to his length and size.

Bamba has shown tremendous progress with his ball handling and play-making ability. He can lead the fast break and make plays in transition that you normally don't see from a 7-1 player. In some ways he reminds of Giannis with his open court ability.

Players with his combination of length, athleticism and skill don't come around often. He's got a very high ceiling and a chance to be a franchise level NBA talent.

Weaknesses
Needs to add strength and weight and develop a mean streak. He doesn't have the type of body that will ever be super powerful and he's light in the lower body, which allows him to get out-leveraged when trying to gain position.

Doesn't command the lane or dominate on the low block like you'd expect from a player with his size. Relies too much on his height and doesn't always do a good job of boxing out, getting leverage and playing with proper positioning.

Must continue to improve as a free throw shooter and continue to refine his post moves.

Comparisons
A more mobile version of Rudy Gobert.
Reminds of a bigger, better version of Nerlens Noel with his quickness, skinny frame and shot blocking ability - but he has much better hands than Noel and is a much better offensive player.
Has some Kristaps Porzingis in his game, with his nice shooting stroke and open court ability.

Well KDP59 was the first one that suggested moving Rozier and picks to Orlando to move up in the draft.  I however can not imagine that they would trade Jaylen Brown but Rozier makes the most sense especially if Danny is going to keep Smart.

Bamba is a freakishly long center that could become a transcendent defensive player.

I have been watching a lot of film on him for almost a year now.  He definitely needs to add some weight.  He is an unproven scorer from outside but apparently toward the end of the season he began to make outside shots.  His mechanics look good.  He can handle the ball.

If Boston is able to move up to 6 either Bamba or Carter could be available.

I think Bamba is a developmental player that would need a lot of work.  Carter appears to be more polished. Just 2 days removed from game 7 and here we are again...Danny does not play games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EOrdk_H2-s

gyso wrote:Is he an extremely large slow plodder, like Fab Melo or does he have any lateral quickness?

He is quick and agile, nothing like Fab. Biggest knock is an inconsistent motor. However, he is supposed to a super smart kid, which makes me think Brad could relate to him and get him fully engaged.

dboss wrote:Well KDP59 was the first one that suggested moving Rozier and picks to Orlando to move up in the draft.  I however can not imagine that they would trade Jaylen Brown but Rozier makes the most sense especially if Danny is going to keep Smart.

Bamba is a freakishly long center that could become a transcendent defensive player.

I have been watching a lot of film on him for almost a year now.  He definitely needs to add some weight.  He is an unproven scorer from outside but apparently toward the end of the season he began to make outside shots.  His mechanics look good.  He can handle the ball.

If Boston is able to move up to 6 either Bamba or Carter could be available.

I think Bamba is a developmental player that would need a lot of work.  Carter appears to be more polished. Just 2 days removed from game 7 and here we are again...Danny does not play games.

Given the current talent level of the Celtics, Boston could be a perfect landing spot for him - there wouldn't be any pressure for him to be a franchise savior, and he could take his time learning from Brad and Big Al. A little more muscle on his side and some patience and teaching/mentoring on the Celtics side, and Mo Bamba could be a force for us a few years down the road.

I know some people have questioned Ainge's drafting, but I presonally think he has done amazingly well. Consider some of his mid-to-late 1st round picks: Al Jefferson (15), Tony Allen (25), Delonte West (24), Gerald Green (18), Ryan Gomes (55), Rajon Rondo (21), Avery Bradley (19), E'Twaun Moore (55), Jared Sullinger. Jared Sullinger (21), Kelly Olynyk (13); and then his high picks: Marcus Smart (6), Jaylen Brown (3), Jayson Tatum (3). That is some seriously good drafting in my book. Thus, if Danny is targeting this kid, I have faith.

Shamrock1000 wrote:

dboss wrote:Well KDP59 was the first one that suggested moving Rozier and picks to Orlando to move up in the draft.  I however can not imagine that they would trade Jaylen Brown but Rozier makes the most sense especially if Danny is going to keep Smart.

Bamba is a freakishly long center that could become a transcendent defensive player.

I have been watching a lot of film on him for almost a year now.  He definitely needs to add some weight.  He is an unproven scorer from outside but apparently toward the end of the season he began to make outside shots.  His mechanics look good.  He can handle the ball.

If Boston is able to move up to 6 either Bamba or Carter could be available.

I think Bamba is a developmental player that would need a lot of work.  Carter appears to be more polished. Just 2 days removed from game 7 and here we are again...Danny does not play games.

Given the current talent level of the Celtics, Boston could be a perfect landing spot for him - there wouldn't be any pressure for him to be a franchise savior, and he could take his time learning from Brad and Big Al. A little more muscle on his side and some patience and teaching/mentoring on the Celtics side, and Mo Bamba could be a force for us a few years down the road.

I know some people have questioned Ainge's drafting, but I presonally think he has done amazingly well. Consider some of his mid-to-late 1st round picks: Al Jefferson (15), Tony Allen (25), Delonte West (24), Gerald Green (18), Ryan Gomes (55), Rajon Rondo (21), Avery Bradley (19), E'Twaun Moore (55), Jared Sullinger. Jared Sullinger (21), Kelly Olynyk (13); and then his high picks: Marcus Smart (6), Jaylen Brown (3), Jayson Tatum (3). That is some seriously good drafting in my book. Thus, if Danny is targeting this kid, I have faith.

Shamrock,

One of the negatives that I've seen about Mo Bamba is that he doesn't help us now and now is our time to challenge for a championship.  I am leaning more to your viewpoint that we can take our time with him and allow him time to adjust to the game and get stronger.  I also think that we can limit his game time minutes for a couple years in order to allow his body to finish maturing.

Worcester has mentioned in the past that growth plates (?) are not mature until sometime later.  Maybe he can remind us of the risks involved with that kind of thing.

gyso

Isn't Danny and company as good as any to deal with this issue?

swish

I would be very sad to see them part with Jaylen. I like having Jason and Jaylen maturing together on this team and lead us into the future with our superstars.

I do believe, at some point, that Rozier is the one who will be traded. Not because I do not like him, I think he has a lot more to grow and give to the game, but because he may be the unhappy one sitting there behind Kyrie. I do not think he will ever be a problem though, he has learned this year what being on a team that works together. He just has dreams that he wants to see come true

Has anyone ever heard Brad Stevens use the words “rim protection” or anything along those lines?

I’ve heard him say he wants mobile bigs who can shoot, wings and a ball handler. I’ve never heard him mention power forwards, centers or guards. I’m sure he has input on Danny’s moves, and I’m not sure Mo Bamba is a piece of the puzzle he wants. I know jack about Mo Bamba or any other college player, and from the comments above it sounds like he has good shooting form so perhaps he can be a modern big. If we trade for him I’m guessing Brad and Danny feel he can learn to be a modern big, I’m just not sure we want him.

In any event if we do trade to move up in the draft, I’d prefer to keep Brown and the Sac pick. Rozier, our pick and the Memphis pick to me are expendable.

Shamrock1000 wrote:

dboss wrote:Well KDP59 was the first one that suggested moving Rozier and picks to Orlando to move up in the draft.  I however can not imagine that they would trade Jaylen Brown but Rozier makes the most sense especially if Danny is going to keep Smart.

Bamba is a freakishly long center that could become a transcendent defensive player.

I have been watching a lot of film on him for almost a year now.  He definitely needs to add some weight.  He is an unproven scorer from outside but apparently toward the end of the season he began to make outside shots.  His mechanics look good.  He can handle the ball.

If Boston is able to move up to 6 either Bamba or Carter could be available.

I think Bamba is a developmental player that would need a lot of work.  Carter appears to be more polished. Just 2 days removed from game 7 and here we are again...Danny does not play games.

Given the current talent level of the Celtics, Boston could be a perfect landing spot for him - there wouldn't be any pressure for him to be a franchise savior, and he could take his time learning from Brad and Big Al. A little more muscle on his side and some patience and teaching/mentoring on the Celtics side, and Mo Bamba could be a force for us a few years down the road.

I know some people have questioned Ainge's drafting, but I presonally think he has done amazingly well. Consider some of his mid-to-late 1st round picks: Al Jefferson (15), Tony Allen (25), Delonte West (24), Gerald Green (18), Ryan Gomes (55), Rajon Rondo (21), Avery Bradley (19), E'Twaun Moore (55), Jared Sullinger. Jared Sullinger (21), Kelly Olynyk (13); and then his high picks: Marcus Smart (6), Jaylen Brown (3), Jayson Tatum (3). That is some seriously good drafting in my book. Thus, if Danny is targeting this kid, I have faith.

Hey rock. I am in agreement with you.

The only dead deal for me is if we moved Jaylen Brown. You don't move a #3 pick who has pretty much lived up to his draft position. He has established himself as a two-way SG and given some level of uncertainty regarding Hayward and his ability to return to his pre-injury status, it would also be a big gamble to even consider Brown in a deal.

I actually am not sure if Bamba is the real target here. I think it could be Carter

bobc33 wrote:Has anyone ever heard Brad Stevens use the words “rim protection” or anything along those lines?

I’ve heard him say he wants mobile bigs who can shoot, wings and a ball handler.  I’ve never heard him mention power forwards, centers or guards.  I’m sure he has input on Danny’s moves, and I’m not sure Mo Bamba is a piece of the puzzle he wants.  I know jack about Mo Bamba or any other college player, and from the comments above it sounds like he has good shooting form so perhaps he can be a modern big.  If we trade for him I’m guessing Brad and Danny feel he can learn to be a modern big, I’m just not sure we want him.

In any event if we do trade to move up in the draft, I’d prefer to keep Brown and the Sac pick.  Rozier, our pick and the Memphis pick to me are expendable.

After watching Baynes take and make 3 point shots I am convinced that some guys can expand their game out to the perimeter if given the opportunity.  Bamba does have a real nice stroke but the real deal here is adding a player with ungodly length that can protect the rim by altering or blocking shots.  He can do that now and will do it even better once he develops and gets physically stronger.

I am not concerned about the Sacto pick.  That pick has less value if used next year (weak draft and few bigs)

No doubt in my mind that Danny needs to use it this year to target an outstanding class of bigs.

The posibility of dealing Brown in any Celtic move - will depend on the expert opinion by the Celtic management team as to the plus-minus relative value of any involved players. Who knows what evaluations Danny may have placed on players of interest ? Maybe a surprise is coming - maybe not. Who knows for sure just how Danny may be rating the upcoming talent pool.

  swish

swish wrote:The posibility of dealing Brown in any Celtic move - will depend on the expert opinion by the Celtic management team as to the plus-minus relative value of any involved players. Who knows what evaluations Danny may have placed on players of interest ? Maybe a surprise is coming - maybe not. Who knows for sure just how Danny may be rating the upcoming talent pool.

  swish

Exactly!

Last year a lot of Celtic fans here were upset when Danny traded IT.

It was only after a few months after the trade that everybody here fell in love with Kyrie.

With Danny Ainge in charge, no one untouchable.

I wasn't upset with the IT trade because I knew kyrie was better.


KJ

dboss wrote:

bobc33 wrote:Has anyone ever heard Brad Stevens use the words “rim protection” or anything along those lines?

I’ve heard him say he wants mobile bigs who can shoot, wings and a ball handler.  I’ve never heard him mention power forwards, centers or guards.  I’m sure he has input on Danny’s moves, and I’m not sure Mo Bamba is a piece of the puzzle he wants.  I know jack about Mo Bamba or any other college player, and from the comments above it sounds like he has good shooting form so perhaps he can be a modern big.  If we trade for him I’m guessing Brad and Danny feel he can learn to be a modern big, I’m just not sure we want him.

In any event if we do trade to move up in the draft, I’d prefer to keep Brown and the Sac pick.  Rozier, our pick and the Memphis pick to me are expendable.

After watching Baynes take and make 3 point shots I am convinced that some guys can expand their game out to the perimeter if given the opportunity.  Bamba does have a real nice stroke but the real deal here is adding a player with ungodly length that can protect the rim by altering or blocking shots.  He can do that now and will do it even better once he develops and gets physically stronger.

I am not concerned about the Sacto pick.  That pick has less value if used next year (weak draft and few bigs)

No doubt in my mind that Danny needs to use it this year to target an outstanding class of bigs.

+1

I'd trade Rozier and Sac. pic just to have a high pick in this draft. It's stacked, and it's stacked at positions where we have our greatest needs. Let's get a capable big man to insure our roster at the center position in the face of Horford's inevitable decline over the next few years.

Let's try to keep Brown though.

while I did propose a possible move up in this years draft earlier this year, I have kinda cooled on it at this point.

MY target would have been Jaren Jackson Jr, as I see him a perfect big man in today's NBA. He would have fit into Brads system prefect, though he will take a year or two before being ready for big time minutes, IMO.

Since it looks like Jackson will go top 3-4 I doubt Danny can get that high without losing one of Brown or Tatum (I want to keep both players now).

But this thread is about Bamba, who has been compared to Gobert from Utah.

Bamba is NOT without questions as a NBA starter, so it is a risk for Danny to trade any rotation player for him. He is very thin and some feel he may never be able to put on enough weight to be any type of low post player in the NBA. There are also questions about his desire.

That said, reading this thread got me to thinking about another proposal I made a few months back.

I know .....I come up with a lot of trade ideas, some better than others.

Trading Hayward back to Utah for Rudy Gobert.

ok, now hold on a minute!

IF Danny is interested in Bamba, why not go after a player who is the same AND has proven he can actually play on the NBA today?

Gobert is only 25YO now and is signed for three more years counting next season. which means he fits into both our win now team and be part of our young group long term.

The salary's are not perfect match as both teams are over the cap.

Haywards' salary is $31.2M next year and he has a 15% trade kicker.

Goberts salary is $22.7M next year, so they would need to send back another player to match salarys.

our old friends Jae Crowder sits there with a $7.3M salary.

to make is happen we likely would have to send a future first back to Utah, IMO.


which makes the trade:
Gobert and Crowder

for
Hayward and the Memphis First in 2019.


Possible roster after this proposed deal:

Gobert
Horford
Tatum
Brown
Irving

Smart
Rozier
Crowder
Morris
Theis

Ojeleye
Yabusele
Nader
#27 pick



Baynes could be resigned , but if he is I would try to move Morris or Crowder

Larkin or another minimum wage vet for the 15th spot

Again this is NOT any type of rumor, just my thoughts about Danny perhaps looking for a big man.

DO IT!

If at all possible. In my opinion, I'd give up any among Brown, Rozier, even Hayward if a package can be created that works. I'd give up pick 27, the Sacto pick, the Grizz pick, any one of those as well. Give 'em Mike and Tommy's court-side chairs and make those two sit on bar stools if you have to. And no, I haven't gone off my meds.

It will take a lot to get there; in some circles Bamba has been rumored to have the potential to go #1 ahead of Ayton. I don't think the Suns will do that, but I'd be surprised if he goes later than #3, #4 at the latest.

Bamba will be a transformative NBA player, with defensive and rebounding abilities beyond any big to hit the draft in a long time. Like some of the best players you can name at any position, he's got a deep intellect and studies his competition relentlessly. We're talking size, ability and smarts. Put him in there with Tatum, Irving and whoever you don't deal from the current roster, and start rigging the rafters at TD to hold more weight. Those banners are heavy when they pile up.

NYCelt wrote:DO IT!

If at all possible. In my opinion, I'd give up any among Brown, Rozier, even Hayward if a package can be created that works. I'd give up pick 27, the Sacto pick, the Grizz pick, any one of those as well. Give 'em Mike and Tommy's court-side chairs and make those two sit on bar stools if you have to. And no, I haven't gone off my meds.

It will take a lot to get there; in some circles Bamba has been rumored to have the potential to go #1 ahead of Ayton. I don't think the Suns will do that, but I'd be surprised if he goes later than #3, #4 at the latest.

Bamba will be a transformative NBA player, with defensive and rebounding abilities beyond any big to hit the draft in a long time. Like some of the best players you can name at any position, he's got a deep intellect and studies his competition relentlessly. We're talking size, ability and smarts. Put him in there with Tatum, Irving and whoever you don't deal from the current roster, and start rigging the rafters at TD to hold more weight. Those banners are heavy when they pile up.

wow, you seem to see him as a transformative player in the NBA? Most things I have read says he is a possibly more mobile Gobert?

there is always risk with rookies for sure, one can never measure a players desire and drive for excellence, that is always to be determined later.

I am not sure I would trade any of Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Irving, Horford for any draft pick myself. The chance for ending up with a player does not reach his potential is too high for me.

Rozier and future draft picks, sure. I am just not sure that gets you into the top 10 of this draft.

If danny gets him, I hope your assessment of Bamba is SPOT ON though!!

" I’d prefer to keep Brown and the Sac pick. Rozier, our pick and the Memphis pick to me are expendable."

I second that emotion. I also think Bamba would be a transformative player and would just love to get him - and not crush him with a 30 mpg 82 game responsibility his first year. Give his growth plates a bit longer to close and let his bones harden before overloading them with stress, increasing the possibility of recurrent injuries. So many of the great bigs in the NBA had big growth spurts in their teenage years but went on to play 2-3-4 years in college before undertaking the 82 game NBA schedule. I am just glad Jayson did not get injured this year, given how much and how long he played as a rookie. His growth plates are pretty well closed now, and he's good to go for a long career. He is our franchise player for years to come, our Tom Brady, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Bobby Orr. Count on it.

We could win it all next year with Bamba playing a more limited role and Terry gone. I'd miss Rozier, but not as much as missing out on Mo. Mo Betta. Then we'd be set for a decade. The unstoppable Celtics. There'd be a lot of NBA GM's going bald from pulling their hair out trying to figure out how to counter Danny's moves.

Below is all you need to read about growth plates. Ironically, playing bball spurs players on to greater growth.


https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/growth-plate-injuries.html

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/growth-plate-injuries

http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/heel-pain-in-youth-athletes-warning-signs

http://www.allheight.com/2012/12/late-growth-spurts-nba-players-tall.html

http://www.thefitpost.com/can-playing-basketball-help-you-grow-taller/

I am saying A BIG NO to trading Hayward. This will never happen this year. What a slap in the face to a guy who took a big pay cut to sign here, got injured in the first five minutes, and has not played again.

I love the Celtics, but I would not respect this move, period. Have people forgotten just how good Hayward is?? Sorry, a big NO