Offensive centers

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

I wonder a little about Pierce's size at the small forward. Supposedly, most of
the teams that worked him out were primarily interested in seeing if he could
play shooting guard. Does he have the defensive capability to guard some of the
more powerful small forwards in the game?

I love the Celtics from 1-4 right now but center is probably the most vital
position for them (along with point), unfortunately. An above-average center can
do some many things for your team, both offensive and defensive. People have
questioned the need for an offensive center seeing as we have four athletic
scorers. I think we still need one. First, a purely defensive center would allow
the opposing center to roam and shot-block or double-team at will, which would 
take away from the Celtics' drives to the hoop and probably turn them into a 
purely jump-shooting team. Second, an offensive (inside, not jump-shooting) 
center could draw fouls on the top opposing centers, many of whom are quite 
foul-prone. Last year's free throw differential was abysmal. Third, it would 
take some of the inside scoring load off Antoine and allow him to play a more
flexible game to take advantage of his multiple talents. Finally, it gives
another option for Anderson to run the pick-and-roll with, which he really looks
good doing.

I hope that the Celtics can somehow manage to get a good free agent center
although the market looks a little steep. Right now Pitino is desperate for cap
room. He will definitely renounce Edney. Bowen seems sure to stay but if his cap
money made the difference between getting a good center, he could be gone. 
(I doubt it but his $500K salary translates to $5.6M over 7 years under the 
current CBA.) 

If they can't get a good center in free agency, I would look for them to use
their free agent money in a trade much as Denver did with us last year, or take 
the best available player for trading stock. The Celtics also have some extra 
swingman talent in Pierce and Mercer. By midseason, it should be evident how 
they measure up against each other. If they were equally good and one was to be 
traded in a package for a center, you have to figure it would be Mercer if the 
new CBA has five-year rookie contracts.

Alex