Green Target: Chuck Hayes

Rumors are swirling that Chuck Hayes is Danny's #1 big man target, so we figured it was time to do a Green Target on him. Hayes is a Leon Powe type lunch pail big man. Luckily for Hayes, he has better knees. I'll let a few of his former teammates describe him:
Shane Battier on Hayes:

“Luis Scola and I were talking in the weight room this morning,” Shane Battier said, “and we both agreed Chuck Hayes is our favorite player in the NBA.”

“It's pretty amazing what he does,” Battier said. “He's a huge reason we've been one of the best defensive teams in the league the last few years.”

"Three-fourths of the world is covered by water, the rest is covered by Chuck Hayes."

Carl Landry on Hayes:

“He's the perfect player,” Landry said. “He rebounds, plays defense, takes charges, gets steals. He does the dirty work.”


Luis Scola on Hayes:

“It's a pleasure to play with him,” Scola said. “He plays hard. He does everything a basketball player should do. He's a great teammate.”

Battier on Hayes' listed side of 6-6, 238 pounds:

“And that's being generous,” Battier said.

How the Celtics could get him:
Hayes should be affordable enough that the Celtics can outright sign him.

Pros: Unlike the bigger names out there, the Celtics would not need to part with any of the Big 4 in order to obtain Hayes. Hayes would make a solid backup for both KG and Jermaine O'Neal. Hayes is a plus defender (some say he's immoveable) and rebounder. In fact he had a better rebounding rate last season than KG, JO, Shaq, Krstic, Baby, or any Celtic on last year's playoff roster. Hayes is still only 28 years old, so he's not going to all of a sudden lose his game, a la Troy Murphy. Hayes is a hard worker, a coach's dream, unselfish, and a great teammate, so those who hate Big Baby should like him. Signing Hayes would allow the Celtics to sign and trade Davis to another team to fill a different void.

Cons: For those obsessed about height and who believe that you rebound and block shots with the top of your head, be forewarned that Hayes is only 6'6" (so I guess some people who hate Big Baby can also dislike Hayes). Hayes has never had a problem guarding NBA power forwards or centers, but the height stigma I'm sure will give some fans pause (It shouldn't, but it will). Hayes used to be an awful free throw shooter, but has improved recently and last year shot just under the league average. There always is a fear he could revert to his earlier woes, so I had to add it to his cons, but the fact that he's improved should show that he's a hard worker. Last con I can think of is the Celtics only have a small amount to spend, so spending on Hayes could prohibit spending on another target.

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