Celtics Question of the Day: Bass or Green as starting PF?

CSNE

A. SHERROD BLAKLEY

With a relatively tried and true roster that has reaped the spoils of victory for years, not a whole lot of lineup shuffling has gone on with the Boston Celtics in recent years.

But that's about to change in a big way this season.

For the first time in many years, there will be competition - lots of it - for something other than a spot in the rotation. Boston comes into this season with only three players - Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett - assured of starting.

And of all the camp battles, none will be more intriguing than the fight between Brandon Bass and Jeff Green to see who will start at power forward.

While both will certainly play a major role in the C's success this season, look for Bass to get the nod when all is said and done. He is the incumbent, but that has little to do with him remaining with the first unit.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers loved the idea of having Bass come off the bench, well aware that his ability to score on pick-and-pops caused major problems for opponents. However, injuries and inconsistent play left Rivers little choice but to toss Bass into the starting lineup.

It was an adjustment for all involved, raising questions and concerns about whether the 6-foot-8 forward could produce at a similar clip that he had while coming off the bench.

As a reserve in 20 games for Boston, Bass averaged a solid 11.8 points per game along with 6.1 rebounds while shooting 49.3 percent from the field.

Bass, affectionately nicknamed 'No Pass' Bass, continued to deliver at a similar level with the increased role and with it, more playing time (33.7 minutes compared to 27.9 coming off the bench).

But the number Boston and Bass cared about most - wins - was at the heart of why he's likely to remain a starter.

It took a while, but the C's finally figured out not only how to play with Bass in the starting lineup, but how to win.

As a starter, the C's were 26-13 with Bass. When he came off the bench, they were just 11-9. Those factors alone give Bass and edge over Green heading into training camp.

But when you throw in the fact that the Celtics are likely to try and ease Green back into the flow of things after he missed all of last season following surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, putting him in with the first group seems a bit much after so much time off from the game.

Still, Green's ability to run the floor gives him a chance to get some easy points in transition which would make Rajon Rondo's job a lot easier and potentially open things up even more for Garnett and Pierce.

And at 6-9, his size and versatility can also benefit the Celtics defensively at times as well.

Bass.

Green.

It will indeed be among the many issues to be sorted out when training camp begins later this month.

However, considering all the challenges that the C's had to contend with last season, this is a good problem to have.

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Green is not a PF. Question is moot.

I agree. He does not have the physical body.

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Stupid article, the real battle is Bass vs Sullinger, who ever earns it, its all good.

If you read or listen to A Sherrod Blakely enough you will discover a pattern . . . a pattern of nonsense like this. Anybody that knows anything about the Celtics and Jeff Green knows that Jeff is not strong enough or long enough to go against the current crop of power forwards. Green is Paul Pierce's backup and potential starter at the SF when Paul either retires or is injured.

This emperor has no clothes!!!

It will indeed be among the many issues to be sorted out when training camp begins later this month.

Seriously, can anyone name any issues that need to be sorted out during training camp? The only issue that I see is supposedly NOT going to be sorted out during training camp. I am speaking of who starts at the SG position. Avery Bradley is reportedly not going to be ready to go when the C's travel to Europe. That issue will be dealt with sometime around the new year.

Okay, there is one issue that will be sorted out in Training camp, Christmas vs. Smith. I would guess that most of us already think that Christmas wins that one (barring injuries), unless I am missing something.

I believe that our roster is pretty much set going into this season. Nothing much can happen until December 15th, which is when free agents signed by the Celtics can be traded.

I guess I'm in line with all the rest of the posters. Jeff Green is an adequate PF but not a very strong one. He could play 4 due to injuries or in a small lineup, but I wouldn't want to have to start him night-in-and-night-out against the crop of 4s playing today for contenders (Gasol, Boozer, Hawes, Ibaka, Griffin, K-Mart, Josh Smith). The only 4 I could see him doing ok against, IF he plays with energy, is Tyler Hansbrough of Indiana. Hansbrough will abuse him underneath, but doesn't have the speed to play Green at the perimeter or fullcourt (ergo the need for energy).

The depth chart at 4 is Bass, Sully, Wilcox (I have him 3rd on the depth chart here because he's #2 on the depth chart at 5), no Green.


bob


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Bob,

Seems to me that Bass would also have some difficulties against that group you mentioned. That's why I hope Sully can soon get solid minutes as Bass' backup so that perhaps he can soften up those guys (even if he has to do it by biting them in the kneecaps).

Sam

sam wrote:Bob,

Seems to me that Bass would also have some difficulties against that group you mentioned. That's why I hope Sully can soon get solid minutes as Bass' backup so that perhaps he can soften up those guys (even if he has to do it by biting them in the kneecaps).

Sam

sam,

Bass would have difficulties against many of them, you are right, but he's a more physical player than Jeff Green. What he can't accomplish with length he'll try to do with muscle. Green is much more of a finesse player (this is based upon his pre-life changing medical condition).

Could Sully do a better job against those monsters? Perhaps, and I don't see many years go by before he is starting, but a rookie is a rookie is a rookie. No respect from the refs, doesn't have the years of experience that reduces execution to a reflex and not a thought process. I absolutely love the fact that he's a coach's son, I think that will flatten out his learning curve abnormally quickly, but there's no replacement for actual experience and he's a rookie.

bob

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Bob,

Sully could easily be the story of camp—either as a boom of a bust. I'm expecting the former and not really fearing the latter.

I thought of Green as a finesse player even before his heart operation.

I wouldn't be overly worried about Sully's respect from refs as long as he is in a backup role because my hope would be for him to contribute solid impact, even at the risk of committing fouls, during the minority of minutes he'll probably play.

I almost certainly wouldn't judge his performance mainly by the number of rebounds he collects, because I'd be at least as interested in the number of rebounds he opens up for teammates by bodying guys out of the way. Having grown up (like you, I believe) too short to reach the cookie jar, I have a deep appreciation for what a low center of gravity can do for a person. I view that as an advantage Sully will have (perhaps the only physical advantage) over many PF opponents.

Here's an electrical question. If I switch my clock to 200 voltage, will it make the time go by faster?

Sam

sam wrote:Bob,

Sully could easily be the story of camp—either as a boom of a bust. I'm expecting the former and not really fearing the latter.

I thought of Green as a finesse player even before his heart operation.

I wouldn't be overly worried about Sully's respect from refs as long as he is in a backup role because my hope would be for him to contribute solid impact, even at the risk of committing fouls, during the minority of minutes he'll probably play.

I almost certainly wouldn't judge his performance mainly by the number of rebounds he collects, because I'd be at least as interested in the number of rebounds he opens up for teammates by bodying guys out of the way. Having grown up (like you, I believe) too short to reach the cookie jar, I have a deep appreciation for what a low center of gravity can do for a person. I view that as an advantage Sully will have (perhaps the only physical advantage) over many PF opponents.

Here's an electrical question. If I switch my clock to 200 voltage, will it make the time go by faster?

Sam

sam,

Sully's agent, David Falk, said on the day he was introduced to the press, that Sully was a "blue chip". He said "doesn't have the upside that some of the other players in the draft have, but he's solid, well-developed and you know what he's going to give you". I believe it.

I was never too short to reach the cookie jar since I am 6'4" (in my mind). I have a friend, who happens to be a Lakers fanatic, who played pro football (Played offensive guard for Boise State, drafted by the Bills, played center in Montreal for 3 years). He's currently 6'3", 270# (having dropped 60# after "retiring". The CFL has a "Canadian roster" requirement. So, they kept the big corn-fed Canadians for the power positions on the line and the faster Americans for the speed positions). He is always amazed at how hard it is to intimidate me. I told him "why would I be intimidated by you? You're 6'3", 270# and I'm 6'4", 290#.

bob

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Bob,

So it's all in the mind. Now you tell me. I'm just starting to think of what inroads (so to speak) I might have made among all the girls who dumped me because I was vertically challenged.

Sam

sam wrote:Bob,

So it's all in the mind. Now you tell me. I'm just starting to think of what inroads (so to speak) I might have made among all the girls who dumped me because I was vertically challenged.

Sam

sam,

I'm afraid it's a little late for that. If Mrs. Sam ever heard about this she'd cut you back down to size anyway.

Think of it this way: Horizontal is just 90 degrees away from vertical. You might not be vertically-challenged at all, like that.

It's a simple reversal of mind over matter. When you have no mind, it doesn't really matter.

bob


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