2019-20 Boston Celtics Season

Ok, first the trade works because Tatum is still on his rookie deal and not being paid his actual value. If you added up the actual value of these guys it would be lopsided not to mention the 1st rd pick.

I wonder what a poll of GMs would say, who knows. Did you see how good a job Tatum did heads up on Young last night? He is turning into a very very good defender and basketball has two ends to play. Kat only plats 1 end. Agree to disagree.

It’s certainly intriguing but you need to be right on KAT being a winning player. If he’s a superstar it’s a tough sell because his teams haven’t been good and the NBA is a league where a star player can carry a team and he hasn’t. That along with his defense is my big concern. If he can’t defend then you haven’t solved your big man problem when it comes to defending the middle in the East. We can rank however we want but matchups matter.

I mean, didn't we just have concerns about Anthony Davis being a winning player and not being able to carry a team?

Put good talent around him, and boom, the Lakers are awesome instantly. That's kind of the idea here with KAT.

To your second point. He wants out of Minnesota, the same way Anthony Davis wanted out of New Orleans.

Those are fair points, but you can also raise questions about Tatum too-

1) Will he ever be consistent enough to reach the next level?
2) Will he be a closer who demands the ball in his hands instead of this passive player?
3) How good is his shot selection is going to become?

Every young player has questions about them. I take everything Butler says with a grain of salt and that was when Butler forced himself out of Minnesota when he himself was being a cancer to the team. KAT is putting up huge numbers that can't be ignored. The defense is a question, but the skillset isn't.

I trust the evaluation of Danny Ainge either way. If he trades Tatum for KAT, you'll know the answer on his evaluation when comparing both players. Anthony Davis wasn't winning before this year either. These players need players around them.

I would trade Tatum and Smart for KAT. He's the best stretch big in the game. But not Hayward and Tatum.

He wants out and the players are getting what they want these days.

Players get what they want when they have leverage. Leverage exists when they can threaten to leave soon.

The only way KAT can threaten to leave is to retire.

Yeah, two seed. You're right, still had homecourt throughout that playoffs though.

I would do trade Tatum. I would have done just Davis and Irving if they both were here long-term too. There's risk to keeping Tatum and he doesn't pan out to a superstar. He was always advanced for his age and NBA ready. We don't know if or even when that next step is going to come.

You think KAT is a superstar? In my book Superstars carry teams to the playoffs and Playoff wins. Most overused word in Basketball. I don't see Tatum being a Superstar, though he has a chance. Yet he should be an all-star and a great two way player.

Just my two cents but you make trades like that 4-5 years from now if the team is stuck and needs a change.

What has he accomplished? Putting up numbers without winnings games? Now in his 5th year he has only one winning season, one trip to the playoffs and one playoff win and that was with Butler as the leading scorer. Then Butler wanted out because he couldn't stand how they acted and didn't value winning over everything else. Now Butler has turned around the Heat with not much talent. 

He's a very skilled player, but something is missing. I have zero issues that Tatum will play hard and that he's a winner. He proved that as a rookie helping us win a bunch of playoff games. Takes horrible shots? Marcus Smart takes a bunch of horrible shots, Tatum doesn't. He's just had a stretch were easy layups aren't going in, yet he's been very good in his career at that, so I see no reason to worry. Unlike KAT he didn't have a ton of seasons with no pressure, while playing very little D to practice his scoring. He's more like Leonard in that he had played for a winning team since a rookie. It's harder to develop that way and it takes longer.

I wouldn't mind KAT if he's your second or third guy. Kinda reminds me of Cousins, tons of talent but he can't be the best player on a team. After Irving I want no part of guys like that unless they are had for very little cost, not Tatum! Ask yourself does he fit our culture of team play and playing tough D? If you wouldn't trade Tatum for Davis, you don't trade him for KAT even though he has more years.

Hayward has no projection, he could easily be here or not - no one knows.

Tatum has taken steps forward this year. Here are a couple of them:

1. Defense is greatly improved
2. He’s a stronger rebounder
3. He’s stronger overall (look at his shoulders and arms he’s way bigger - might be part of his finishing problem as he gets used to his size)
4. He’s not finishing but he’s getting to the hoop easily whereas before he was weak and he’d easily get stripped going to the basked and not even get a shot off)
5. Better shot selection
6. Play making for others is improved.
7. FT attempts are up.


Honestly, if he starts finishing at the rim his numbers explode. Are you really overly concerned that he won’t get back to finishing at an above average level at the basket? This isn’t a guy throwing bricks; he’s missing layups.

Tex I said you were correct. The rumors are probably false and media hype anyway.