My good friend NP asked me yesterday, where would I rank the Celtics depth now that we have the Glove back in the fold? That was a good question, not surprised, because he often comes up with good questions. Well, here I am, Saturday morning, and my fiancee won't be up for probably four hours. So let's take a look at this shall we?
We'll use ESPN.com depth charts for simplicity's sake:
At PG, the C's now have GP, West, and Banks. Very solid. West and Banks are still raw, but have played extremely well as of late.
ESPN.com lists Ricky Davis and Tony Allen as SG, and Pierce and Justin Reed as SF. I think Pierce and Davis can play the 2 or 3, but I'll go with ESPN here. That leaves us deeper at SG in the long-term, though right now Allen has an ankle injury. I haven't seen enough of Reed to comment on him, but I know Doc and Ainge like him. But for right now, we have the least depth at SF, which is fine because Pierce can play 40 minutes a game, and people can rotate from other positions to the 3 when he sits.
The front court is becoming our real strength. At PF, we now have Employee #8 and BIG Al Jefferson. That is a very formidable 1-2 punch at the 4. At the 5, we now have LaFrentz starting, with Blount and Perk coming off the bench. This is great depth here. Three seven footers, all with shot blocking ability. Limiting Blount to twenty minutes or less per game is just what this team needed, and it seems to have re-energized Blount as well, so maybe it's a win-win.
Now let's go around the league, in alphabetical order:
Atlanta: Atlanta may have the worst bench in the NBA. Outside of rookie Donta Smith, and he's a reach, I don't think there is one bench guy I would rather have than what the C's have.
Edge: C'sCharlotte: They have a good 1-2 at C in Brezec and Ely. Kareem Rush is a good sub off the bench at #2. Overall, not as good depth as the C's.
Edge: C'sChicago: This is a real contest here. The way ESPN lists it, the C's definitely have better PG depth, but the Bulls combo of Hinrich and Gordon wins at SG, as does the Deng/Nocioni combo at SF. They also have Antonio Davis as PF1 and Tyson Chandler as PF2. I don't know that's true, and it doesn't matter anyways, I'll take 'Toine and BIG Al over those 2, as solid as they may be. Overall, it's close. The Bulls record is better by a half game, but we beat the Bulls twice this year before we got Antoine back, so I have to give the C's the nod here.
Edge: C'sCleveland: Great PG depth with McInnis/Snow. Lots of names at SG, but not a lot of production to date. Same with SF, although LeBron/Welsch/Jackson is still better than Pierce/Reed. They have good depth at PF with Gooden and Traylor, but both of those guys run hot and cold. Diop hasn't proven a credible backup yet behind Z.
Edge: C'sDallas: This is no contest, Dallas has better depth at 1-4, and you can make a case for Dampier/Bradley over Lafrentz/Blount/Perk.
Edge: DallasDenver: PG depth is about equal, little more seasoning for Miller and Boynkins, but Miller is a bad passer, so they are often forced to play together, which is counterintuitive of having depth. SG is a strength when Voshon comes back healthy, and right now he isn't. SF and C are their best positions. With 'Melo/Najera/B Russell at SF and Camby/Nene/Elson at C, they have better depth than the C's at those spots. This is close, but -
Edge: Deeeez NugsDetroit: Boston's likely opponent in the 2nd round this spring. Good 1-2 at PG with Billups and Arroyo. Not much there at SG besides Rip, although they like Delfino off the bench. Again, not much past Prince at SF, though they find ways to work Dupree and Ham into the game. At the 4, they have 2 solid guys in Wallace and Dice. Big Ben is by himself at the 5. Overall, they are a team built on a solid foundation of starters, but Larry Brown is a great coach, and gets what he needs from his subs, which is why they win. However, on paper this is not a very talented bench.
Edge: C'sGolden State: Getting better by the day. Now with Baron Davis and Fish, they might have the best 1-2 PG combo in the league. Richardson and Pietrius is a strong combo at the 2 as well. They don't really have one good 3 at all, I don't know if they're still starting Dunleavy, but if they are that's a mistake. There's not much to love in the front court outside of the oft-injured Troy Murphy, and that really lowers their marks.
Edge: C'sHouston: Much like Detroit, this is a team with a lot of role players from which Van Gundy squeezes every drop of effectiveness. I can't say that Sura/Mike James/ C Ward is a better group than the C's talent-wise, but they get the job done. You can throw Moochie Norris in there as well. Same goes for SG: I'll take Ricky Davis and Tony Allen over David Wesley and Jon Barry, but the latter does enough to complement McGrady and Yao to be effective. At SF, I think Justin Reed has a better future than Ryan Bowen, who had his shot with the Nuggets the last couple of years. At PF, the quartet of Juwan, Padgett, 'Spoon, and Vin the Gin Baker aren't that formidable themselves. At C they have a true edge with Yao and Dikembe, if for comedic purposes only.
Edge: C'sIndiana: There's not much to love at PG. SG will be a strength even after Reggie retires, as the Pacers will still have pyscho Stephen Jackson and Fred Jones. Assuming Artest is on the roster, they win at SF over the C's as well. O'Neal and Croshere is a close call between 'Toine and Jefferson. Center is a close call as well, but Harrison is third on that chart, and he proved he could step in and be effective earlier in the year.
Edge: IndianaLA Clippers: Good depth at PG, SG, and PF, but only for this year. Maric, Kittles, and Wilcox will all hit the bricks as free agents this summer, returning those strengths back to normal.
Edge: C'sLA Lakers: They play better than they look on paper, which I suppose is a tribute to Kobe, although not much of one. The Laker real depth is in 3 and 4. They have Butler, Jumaine Jones, Devean George, and Luke Walton at the 3, with Brian Grant, Brian Cook, and Slava M listed at the 4. This is a close call between the C's, but the C's should have won both games, and the lack of a backcourt prescense when Kobe was injured killed this team. I don't think the same would be true for Boston if Pierce was hurt.
Edge: C'sMemphis: This is a frustrating team, as they go two deep at every position, but never seem to put it all together. Their listed subs at each position, Earl Watson, Mike Miller, Shane Battier, Brian Cardinal, and Strohmile Swift would be a good starting 5 for some teams. Throw Dantae Jones in there as well, and that's a solid 11 guys, 10 of whom have good NBA experience.
Edge: MemphisMiami: This is the team that will be exposed the most for their lack of depth once the marathon that is the playoffs starts. I am predicting a round 2 upset at the hands of LeBron for this bunch. Keyon Dooling isn't much of a backup at PG and SG2 Steve Smith should have retired two years ago. They have good depth at SF with Eddie Jones, Rasual Butler, Shandon Anderson, and Qyntel Woods. Haslem and Laettner fit well at PF, but they're not better than the C's duo. They have good depth at C now that they have Zo, but this matters very little with Shaq, and seems like money poorly spent. They should be spending their money trying to find a backup PG. Or a starting PG for that matter.
Edge: C'sMilwaukee: Is TJ Ford back? I like him. They have good depth at SG as well, I hope Redd stays in Milwaukee this summer. They have a good 1-2 at the 3 with Mason and Kukoc. There's not much in the front court however.
Edge: C'sMinnesota: Great depth at PG, SG, and SF. Don't really need their depth behind Garnett, but that is solid too with Madsen. They have nothing at C at all, but the rest gives them the nod.
Edge: MinnesotaNew Jersey: Nothing behind Kidd, which killed all shots of making the playoffs. Nothing behind VC. I guess Ron Mercer is a good backup for RJeff. Collins, C Robinson, and Scalabrine is pretty good at PF. They have nothing at Center.
Edge: C'sNew Orleans: Ugh. Some intriguing talent here, but outside of Magloire, their starters are backups on other teams.
Edge: C'sNew York: In terms of talent, they're better than last year. That's as positive as I can be about this bloated payroll full of underachievers. They're deep at SG with Crawford, Houston, and Penny, and they run 3 deep at SF with Thomas, Williams, and Ariza, on whom my buddy Kev is very high. They run 3 deep at PF as well. On paper, they're deeper than the C's, but they're led by Starbury, who sinks every ship he boards, so it will never matter.
Edge: New YorkOrlando: Jameer Nelson is like Delonte and Banks, talented but raw. He also gets less time on the floor with Stevie Franchise running the show. Christie and Turkoglu is solid at SG. Hill, Garrity, and Plastic Man are good at SF. They're deep at PF also with Dwight Howard, Battie, and Brandon Hunter, though I think Hunter should be listed in front of Battie. Overall, they're riding a lot of veterans, and thus their depth won't last long-term.
Edge: C'sPhiladelphia: Ollie isn't much of a backup at PG, but with AI there it doesn't matter. The four guys listed at SG - Korver, McKie, Green, and Salmons are solid. Not much of anything behind rookie Iggy at SF. Rogers is servicable as Webber's backup, as is Jackson as as Dalembert's, with Jackson being more effective of the two. By position, I like the C's depth better at PG, SF, and PF. Give a slight edge to Philly at SG with C being a toss up.
Edge: C'sPhoenix: Nash is the man, and Barbosa is talented. Joe Johnson and Jim Jackson is a good duo. Quentin Richardson and Waltah are good, but I'll take Pierce and Reed over them. Marion, Hunter, and Outlaw are about a draw with 'Toine and Big Al. Stoudemire alone is better than the Celtics 3 centers, and Voskuhl is no scrub either.
Edge: PhoenixPortland: Similar to NY, as their talent is better than their record, probably one of the reasons Maurice Cheeks was just released. Great PG depth, although they're losing at least one of the two in Van Exel and Stoudemire, possibly both. I can't wait to see Telfair get more minutes next year. They have nothing at SG. Great depth at SF in Shareef, Miles, and Patterson. Ratliff and Randolph are a formidable duo at PF. Nothing to speak of at the 5. This is close, but they lose points because they will lose a lot of this depth after the season and because they have played so poorly together.
Edge: C'sSacramento: Talk about dismantling. Even with the losses of Christie and Webber, they remain deep however. Bibby/Jackson/House is great depth at PG. Stojakovic and Corliss is good at the 3. Thomas and Songalia are decent at the 4. Miller, Ostertag, and Skinner are better than decent at the 5. Overall, the C's win at SG and PF, the Kings win at PG and SF, and experience and size tips towards the Kings favor enough at C to give them the edge there as well.
Edge: SacramentoSan Antonio: Parker might be France's best export since wine and cheese, and Udrih has been a relevation as his backup. Ginobli/Barry/D Brown is a great 1-2-3 at SG. They have Big Game Bob Horry behind Duncan, and Mohammed behind Rasho. If they don't end up in the NBA Finals that is an upset.
Edge: San AntonioSeattle: Ridnour and Antonio Daniels are both capable starters. The same is true for Ray Allen and Flip Murray at the 2, and for Rashard Lewis and Vlad Rad at the 3. Their depth is also very solid at the 4, with Reggie Evans, Fortson, and Collison. If Robert Swift is as good as Danny Ainge thinks he is, then they have something at the 5 as well. That the C's beat this team in both meetings this year is a major achievement.
Edge: SeattleToronto: A team in shambles. Rose and Mo Pete are good at the 2. Bosh and Marshall are good at the 4, and Araujo is supposed to be good eventually. Otherwise, there's not much depth here.
Edge: C'sUtah: Giving up on Carlos Arroyo was a typically hardheaded Jerry Sloan move. A very stupid move. Instead of having 3 backup point guards and one starter they now just have 3 backups. Any could start with similar results. They do have good depth at SG and SF. They have promise at PF with Boozer and Humphries, though I'm not sure that Humphries has as much promise as Big Al. Collins has been a dissapointment at C, and at best Okur cancels out LaFrentz. They should have been better with Kirilenko out, but not having a good point guard will kill you.
Edge: C'sWashington: This is a close call. They have good depth at PG. Peeler is servicable as Hughes backup. Jeffries and Hayes are solid at SF. Jamison and Thomas are good, but not as good as the C's PF's overall. Haywood is solid, but Kwame Brown has been a failure thus far.
Edge: C'sOverall, the
Celtics rank 11th in depth, behind Dallas, Denver, Indiana, Memphis, Minnesota, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, and Seattle. Does this mean the C's are the 11th best team? Maybe, maybe not. Of this list, I think the C's are a better team than Denver, Indy, Memphis, Minnesota, and New York. However, teams like Cleveland and Detroit may be better than the C's overall, even though they do not have the depth the C's do. It should be noted that this isn't based on statistics, but rather talent level and my gut instinct. My optimism also has to be tempered by the fact that GP and Antoine could very well be history in three months. However, given how quickly Ainge has righted the ship, I am confident that if the Payton and Walker do leave, Ainge will find the right replacements. I also have a good deal of faith in Doc Rivers, who was a victim of a selfish McGrady in Orlando, a fact the Magic all but admitted in the offseason when they traded him. Overall, the C's are at worst the 4th best team in the East right now, and they have a legitimate shot to make it to the NBA Finals
this season as their upside. In any case, it's going to be a fun ride.