I really like the acquisition of 6'7" sharpshooter, Evan Fournier. He fulfills Danny Ainge's stated need for "shooting with size". What he does not supply is toughness. Ditto for big men, Moritz Wagner and Luke Kornet. I really don't want to hear about Kornet's ability to hit shots from the hinterlands. The Celtics have enough (too much?) of that.
Remember the Celtics last Championship crew? That was 2008 - 13 years ago. The Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett pairing was not only super-skilled - it was rugged. And don't forget Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins. Perk may not have been a star, but he was tough as nails - and just what that team needed at the center spot. And Rondo may have been an irascible, but he never backed down.
I won't go into depth about the toughness of the 60's teams or the 70's and 80's, but the numerous Titles speak for themselves. Bill Russell, Jim Loscutoff, Dave Cowens, Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson. Ever hear of Bob Brannum? Red Auerbach once stated that Brannum was even tougher than Loscy. Bob at 6'5" and 215 lbs. was an enforcer who protected smaller teammates such as Bob Cousy.
“Bob Brannum was my bodyguard on the court,” Cousy said in a 2004 interview with Celtic Nation. “He was (6-foot-5) and built like a bulldog. Teams learned pretty quickly not to pick on the 5-11 skinny kid from Holy Cross. It was a great luxury to have Bob on the team, and to have him playing the role of protector. It definitely made my job a lot easier.”
The present Celtics crew is composed of ultra-skilled, athletic players that, with the exception of Marcus Smart, could never be labeled as pugnacious. The Celtics could use another rough-and-tumble guy out there, and it would be advantageous to have him at the center spot. I am not saying that Rob Williams can't fulfill that role. I think he can, but his mind needs to be into getting there.
Comments
Post a Comment