Anatomy of a Contender
The NBA finals are upon us and once again the Celtics are mere spectators. The question on everyone's mind is: are we headed in the right direction? Do the pieces we have fit the blueprint of most contending teams? Now while many people will say that every contender is different, they still share some very important similarities. Does the C's youth movement have the same DNA as most contenders?
Point guard: Unless you run the triangle offense, you need to have a floor general running the point. Your point guard needs to be able to control the tempo and restart the offense when things slow down. Something that is often overlooked is the need for a solid defensive presence from the point. Many of the teams that were close but couldn't get over the hump failed because their point guard wasn't able to excel on both sides of the floor.
Where are we?: We need a point guard. While Delonte is solid, his on-ball defense and ability to run the show are both lacking and it's unlikely he'll improve every area enough to make him a legit championship-caliber point guard. He is a great asset to have coming off of the bench but we definitely need a better starter. The Swing Spots: A scorer and a defender. This is the makeup of the 2/3 spots for most contending teams. In some cases, a team can get both in one package (Kobe, Jordan) but for most squads they usually pair a good-to-great defender (Christie, Bowen) with a scorer (Peja, Manu). Again, the quality of defense is usually the difference-maker. Scorers who completely fail on the defensive end often find themselves heading home before the NBA Finals.
Where are we? We have the scorer in Pierce and if we slide him to the small forward spot, Tony Allen could be the defender. Our future tandem of Pierce and Gerald Green is a bit more problematic as Gerald is a long way from being any type of defender. While Paul is solid on defense, he's by no means a lock-down defender so I'm not sure how that tandem works out. On the bright side, we have an elite scorer in Pierce and a potential elite-scorer in Green so at least one of the slots is set for now and the future. Good defensive players are usually available in the free agent market so it shouldn't be too hard to fill that need. The Post: Versatility, athleticism and passing ability are keys in the paint. The premiere post players need to have range on their jumper and have to be as good at finding the open teammates as they are at taking it to the rack. (Shaq doesn't have the range but he's an exception) Webber, Duncan, 'Sheed are the prime examples (and again, the worst defensively is the one without a ring). The second post spot is usually held by a versatile big man or is shared by a couple of players who can be used depending on the opponent.
Where are we?: This is our biggest area of concern. While we have two young prospects in the frontcourt, how effective of a tandem is it really? Perkins is a very useful center but we need a more athletic big man to back him up for when we play more athletic squads. Big Al Jefferson is another issue altogether. He needs to improve his court awareness and range to be truly effective which is a problem because he is still working on finishing of his post game. Al also lacks in the department of defense and athleticism. While I like Big Al, I'm not sold on him being the best fit at the power forward for a contending team. So who's close?: Orlando has the hardest parts filled with a point man in Jameer and two post prospects in Dwight Howard and Darko. An improved mid-range game would make Dewey unstoppable. The Clippers were right there this season but they lacked a perimeter defender to slow down Phoenix. Golden St. lacks the post presence. Troy Murphy isn't the answer and I'm not sure Ike is going to be enough either. Utah needs a scoring guard, although, more than that, they need their guys to stay healthy. How do we get there?: The first thing to realize is that this trip is going to take about another three years so the first thing that's needed is patience. If Randy Foye can be a lead guard, he would make the most sense in the draft. The 2007 draft is loaded with big men but could be bone-dry when it comes to PG's. We need to hold onto our young guys so they can have a chance to improve their stock. Big Al's trade value is lower than ever so dealing him now wouldn't make sense. Add a point guard this year, a big man next season and then use Wally and Raef's expiring deals to round out the bench (and perhaps bring in another defensive player who can guard the 3) and we should be all set. It's a lot and, for all of our potential, I'm not sure how much better off we are now from when Danny took over but it's not impossible to get there from here.
Where are we?: We need a point guard. While Delonte is solid, his on-ball defense and ability to run the show are both lacking and it's unlikely he'll improve every area enough to make him a legit championship-caliber point guard. He is a great asset to have coming off of the bench but we definitely need a better starter. The Swing Spots: A scorer and a defender. This is the makeup of the 2/3 spots for most contending teams. In some cases, a team can get both in one package (Kobe, Jordan) but for most squads they usually pair a good-to-great defender (Christie, Bowen) with a scorer (Peja, Manu). Again, the quality of defense is usually the difference-maker. Scorers who completely fail on the defensive end often find themselves heading home before the NBA Finals.
Where are we? We have the scorer in Pierce and if we slide him to the small forward spot, Tony Allen could be the defender. Our future tandem of Pierce and Gerald Green is a bit more problematic as Gerald is a long way from being any type of defender. While Paul is solid on defense, he's by no means a lock-down defender so I'm not sure how that tandem works out. On the bright side, we have an elite scorer in Pierce and a potential elite-scorer in Green so at least one of the slots is set for now and the future. Good defensive players are usually available in the free agent market so it shouldn't be too hard to fill that need. The Post: Versatility, athleticism and passing ability are keys in the paint. The premiere post players need to have range on their jumper and have to be as good at finding the open teammates as they are at taking it to the rack. (Shaq doesn't have the range but he's an exception) Webber, Duncan, 'Sheed are the prime examples (and again, the worst defensively is the one without a ring). The second post spot is usually held by a versatile big man or is shared by a couple of players who can be used depending on the opponent.
Where are we?: This is our biggest area of concern. While we have two young prospects in the frontcourt, how effective of a tandem is it really? Perkins is a very useful center but we need a more athletic big man to back him up for when we play more athletic squads. Big Al Jefferson is another issue altogether. He needs to improve his court awareness and range to be truly effective which is a problem because he is still working on finishing of his post game. Al also lacks in the department of defense and athleticism. While I like Big Al, I'm not sold on him being the best fit at the power forward for a contending team. So who's close?: Orlando has the hardest parts filled with a point man in Jameer and two post prospects in Dwight Howard and Darko. An improved mid-range game would make Dewey unstoppable. The Clippers were right there this season but they lacked a perimeter defender to slow down Phoenix. Golden St. lacks the post presence. Troy Murphy isn't the answer and I'm not sure Ike is going to be enough either. Utah needs a scoring guard, although, more than that, they need their guys to stay healthy. How do we get there?: The first thing to realize is that this trip is going to take about another three years so the first thing that's needed is patience. If Randy Foye can be a lead guard, he would make the most sense in the draft. The 2007 draft is loaded with big men but could be bone-dry when it comes to PG's. We need to hold onto our young guys so they can have a chance to improve their stock. Big Al's trade value is lower than ever so dealing him now wouldn't make sense. Add a point guard this year, a big man next season and then use Wally and Raef's expiring deals to round out the bench (and perhaps bring in another defensive player who can guard the 3) and we should be all set. It's a lot and, for all of our potential, I'm not sure how much better off we are now from when Danny took over but it's not impossible to get there from here.
