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I wouldn't be comfortable with this move at all if I was a Celtic fan. Avery Bradley is a very smart and effective player on both ends and plays even better in the playoffs. Maybe they want Hayward to play a lot of 2-guard and they'll keep Crowder? Marcus Morris is very average, I prefer Crowder and he isn't going to help them play bigger (Horford and Morris as the 5 and 4 doesn't instill fear).
Meanwhile Detroit can avoid overpaying massively to keep Caldwell-Pope if they choose to. Morris is easy to replace. Bradley becomes their best player in terms of execution (not potential), like their new Joe Dumars only quicker.
As the Celtics look to commit to IT, I think this is the move they have to make. They have a logjam at Guard. Smart needs more time. Hayward can give them time at the 2 & 3. Bradley is a useful player, but I can see why they move on. Morris & Horford give them two skilled bigs. Either can play small-ball center. And both have enough shooting and size to deliver offensive versatility. Horford is a really good passer and a capable ball handler for a big.
Bradley is a defensive specialist. Detroit . . . does not seem to have a plan. I'm not sure how minutes are distributed among Galloway, Bradley, KCP, Kennard, Udrih, and Reggie Jackson. Maybe more moves are on the way.
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Originally Posted by weezerfan84
He's a steal for the Spurs team dynamic. No athlete has ever came back close to prior Achilles heel dominance. That's the one injury in the NBA that truly kills careers. Gay will likely still be serviceable, but he won't be the 19/6/3 man you referenced, even on the Spurs. That type of injury robs you of off the dribble explosiveness and leaping ability.
Umm . . . we're talking about Rudy Gay? A steal for the Spurs dynamic? The aging, ball stopping chucker who doesn't play defense and is dwindling with injuries?
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Originally Posted by weezerfan84
This is a poor trade. You keep Bradley and you move Smart. Bradley can score. Smart can only defend. He's not a go to scorer and lucked into those seven 3's against the Cavs facing elimination.
I understand the trade though. They need to get bigger, because they're a poor rebounding team. However, Bradley was my favorite scrappy guy on that team. Smart's ceiling is well below Bradley's.
They would be crazy to move Smart. I could see moving IT instead of Bradley, but not Smart. Bradley is who he is now: a good defender who can make open shots. He's more of an undersized wing than he is a Point Guard. Smart has a higher ceiling. He's already made strides on the defensive end. He has the ball handling, vision, and passing skills to play point full time, but the size to defend wings, too. He's not a great shooter, but you're okay with him taking shots. And he's just through 3 years in the NBA.
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Originally Posted by Jardine8
Agreed, it is a bad trade. I recognize that they feel that they will lose Bradley next offseason, as he will be a free agent then and they don't think they can resign him while also keeping Hayward, Horford & Thomas locked up to big deals but if you are going to trade Avery Bradley, you have to get something better than that. Morris doesn't even fit a team need. What they need at this point is someone who can play the 4 & 5 who can rebound, defend and do the dirty work and help Horford out. Morris can't do that.
What you described as Boston's need is exactly what Morris provides.
It's a new day, no longer are we stuck in the Jim Buss era. The momentum is building for our Lakers return to prominence!! We just need to be patient in doing so. We have a few years to build it since right now it is clearly Golden States time.
That is entirely the right attitude, this is going to take time.
Short-Buss really drove the Lakers into a ditch.
Let's see if Magic's tow-truck service will get them out.
P.S. Love, love, love magic...hope he does great there.
Agreed, it is a bad trade. I recognize that they feel that they will lose Bradley next offseason, as he will be a free agent then and they don't think they can resign him while also keeping Hayward, Horford & Thomas locked up to big deals but if you are going to trade Avery Bradley, you have to get something better than that. Morris doesn't even fit a team need. What they need at this point is someone who can play the 4 & 5 who can rebound, defend and do the dirty work and help Horford out. Morris can't do that.
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Originally Posted by TheCityTheBridge
What you described as Boston's need is exactly what Morris provides.
I disagree on that; Marcus Morris is a stretch 4 who also plays the 3 but isn't a tough #4 or #5 who rebounds, defends and does dirty work. He plays the 3 and the 4, scores some and stretches the defense by shooting the 3. He doesn't really defend all that much (0.3 blocks and 0.7 steals last season in 32 MPG) and doesn't really rebound at all (4.6 rebounds per game last season in 32 MPG). He's basically a Jeff Green-type of player.
I'm talking about a strong, athletic guy who can play the 5 and possibly the 4, rebounds (8 to 12 boards per game), defends the interior (ie can block shots) and do the dirty work to help Horford out on the interior. That isn't Marcus Morris. Ideally, I am thinking moreso of a 25 year old version of Tyson Chandler, Joakim Noah, Marcus Camby or Anderson Varejao. That type of big, not another wing player/stretch guy. They already have 4 guys that play the 3 and 4 and play out on the wing (Hayward, Crowder, Brown, Tatum).
I disagree on that; Marcus Morris is a stretch 4 who also plays the 3 but isn't a tough #4 or #5 who rebounds, defends and does dirty work. He plays the 3 and the 4, scores some and stretches the defense by shooting the 3. He doesn't really defend all that much (0.3 blocks and 0.7 steals last season in 32 MPG) and doesn't really rebound at all (4.6 rebounds per game last season in 32 MPG). He's basically a Jeff Green-type of player.
I'm talking about a strong, athletic guy who can play the 5 and possibly the 4, rebounds (8 to 12 boards per game), defends the interior (ie can block shots) and do the dirty work to help Horford out on the interior. That isn't Marcus Morris. Ideally, I am thinking moreso of a 25 year old version of Tyson Chandler, Joakim Noah, Marcus Camby or Anderson Varejao. That type of big, not another wing player/stretch guy. They already have 4 guys that play the 3 and 4 and play out on the wing (Hayward, Crowder, Brown, Tatum).
Good luck getting 25 year old Tyson Chandler. That's just not on the market. Morris is better off in the 4/smallball 5 role than he is getting any minutes at the 3. He can shoot the 3. He will box out and set screens. Morris is a big who can shoot. Hayward, Crowder, Brown, and Tatum are all wings. Crowder has the strength to provide some spot minutes at the 4. But Morris is a true 4, who can deliver small ball Center minutes, too. He's an average defender.
Detroit gave Morris a lot of run at 3 because of their atypical roster. With Boston, Morris will be back at his natural position. Even at the 3, Morris delivered solid rebounding.
Jeff Green is not a very useful player. He can't defend the wing, but he can't play big, either.
Good luck getting 25 year old Tyson Chandler. That's just not on the market. Morris is better off in the 4/smallball 5 role than he is getting any minutes at the 3. He can shoot the 3. He will box out and set screens. Morris is a big who can shoot. Hayward, Crowder, Brown, and Tatum are all wings. Crowder has the strength to provide some spot minutes at the 4. But Morris is a true 4, who can deliver small ball Center minutes, too. He's an average defender.
Detroit gave Morris a lot of run at 3 because of their atypical roster. With Boston, Morris will be back at his natural position. Even at the 3, Morris delivered solid rebounding.
Jeff Green is not a very useful player. He can't defend the wing, but he can't play big, either.
I don't think he's Jeff Green (Morris has had some ups and downs like Green), but I'll take a Jeff Green on the end of my bench on a one year deal looking for his final contract. If I had to choose it would be Morris of course.
First, you've traded for a guy facing some legal issues that may impact his availability.
And You got problems if Morris is a small ball 5.
I don't look at Morris as a shooter- he shot 41% largely playing the 3 and 4 last year. As others have noted he's not a rebounder, but I'll cut him some slack with his role in Detroit and also playing alongside Andre Drummond.
I don't know what the Celtics could have gotten for a trade that the world knew was a salary dump on a player they couldn't afford next year, but it doesn't help the Cleveland or Washington matchup IMO.
Are the Celtics now able to keep Crowder? Crowder and Bradley appeared to be the heart and soul of the team. Thomas can be game planned and has to be hidden on the other end, which won't work against the elite that the Celtics will face (Curry, Irving, Wall). Now you make Marcus Smart a 35-40 min. a night need on the defensive end???
I don't think he's Jeff Green (Morris has had some ups and downs like Green), but I'll take a Jeff Green on the end of my bench on a one year deal looking for his final contract. If I had to choose it would be Morris of course.
First, you've traded for a guy facing some legal issues that may impact his availability.
And You got problems if Morris is a small ball 5.
I don't look at Morris as a shooter- he shot 41% largely playing the 3 and 4 last year. As others have noted he's not a rebounder, but I'll cut him some slack with his role in Detroit and also playing alongside Andre Drummond.
I don't know what the Celtics could have gotten for a trade that the world knew was a salary dump on a player they couldn't afford next year, but it doesn't help the Cleveland or Washington matchup IMO.
Are the Celtics now able to keep Crowder? Crowder and Bradley appeared to be the heart and soul of the team. Thomas can be game planned and has to be hidden on the other end, which won't work against the elite that the Celtics will face (Curry, Irving, Wall). Now you make Marcus Smart a 35-40 min. a night need on the defensive end???
And you have Smart on the floor for defense, but he can't score. We saw what happened to Cleveland when they had Shump and D Will on the floor. You need guys who can score, even if they're streaky like JR Smith.
And you have Smart on the floor for defense, but he can't score. We saw what happened to Cleveland when they had Shump and D Will on the floor. You need guys who can score, even if they're streaky like JR Smith.
When the Cavs faced the Celtics I wanted to know where Bradley was- he had a couple bad shooting nights too in that series. Smart had one really good shooting night- they tried to put him on Lebron and he was overwhelmed, and I didn't think he did well on Kyrie either.
They are assuming Tatum is really READY RIGHT NOW and Jaylen Brown takes a huge step up. Even if its the case they still have nothing at the rim contesting shots and big like Horford who wants to step out too much when they need someone on the low block.
Brown didn't impress me- he has every right to get better though, but I don't see ceiling that makes him a key piece.
I get the direction they are headed but I don't agree with it. I'm not really a big Thomas Fan- he'll get paid next year and take a huge part of the cap and I think they could have really sold high on their draft picks and set themselves up to take down Cleveland and make a 2/3 year run after it. Now its let's hope we can do something in a few years. I think if Wall continues to be what everyone on here thinks he is (and even a little better next year) they will have problems with Washington and again it appears they don't matchup with Cleveland well
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