The 2020-21 Boston Celtics were an unequivocal success story until they weren't. In the regular season they improved on both ends with a new floor general, a new No. 1 option and an infinitely happier locker room. They weren't as deep as they were the previous season, but they finished fourth in offensive rating and defensive rating despite Kemba Walker missing 16 games and Gordon Hayward missing 20.
Walker had to play through knee pain in the playoffs, though, and Hayward hurt his ankle in the first game of the first round. Without Hayward, Boston beat the Toronto Raptors in the second round by the skin of its teeth. When he returned against the Miami Heat, they were down 2-0 in the conference finals, a series that ended in six games but felt agonizingly close.
Now Hayward is gone, and Walker's knee still isn't right. He had a stem-cell injection in October, and In training camp all he's done is some light some shooting. Rather than filling the hole on the wing, Boston used its mid-level exception to sign center Tristan Thompson, who strained his hamstring before camp and has also yet to take part in a full practice. It has only been two-and-a-half months since Game 6 against Miami, and increasingly it looks like the Celtics need another leap from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
That's the big picture, but there is another important question: Come playoff time, what in the world will this rotation look like?
Jeff Teague, the 32-year-old point guard signed to replace Brad Wanamaker, will presumably run some pick-and-rolls with the second unit. Either Thompson or Daniel Theis will come off the bench, and then there is a long list of young players competing for minutes. The roster might look different in a few months, too, because Boston got a massive trade exception from the Hayward sign-and-trade.
Unlike recent years, there isn't all that much preseason buzz around the Celtics. They're one of the better teams in the East if healthy, but, for now, uncertainty abounds. The story will reveal itself in time.
Taking the temperature
Celtics believer: Everybody's overlooking the Celtics. If their last two seasons have taught us anything, it's that team success isn't dictated by the sheer amount of talent on hand. Honestly, given how much growth we saw from Tatum and Brown last season, what was the point of keeping Hayward around? It was never realistic that he'd stay beyond this season anyway, and this allows the most important players on the team to take even more responsibility on offense. It's just a matter of time before Tatum is manipulating the defense and consistently creating for others, at which point he will be an MVP candidate.
Maybe they take a slight step back in terms of efficiency, but I'll bet the defense improves with Thompson around and Grant Williams playing a bigger role. I want Romeo Langford to get a chance, and that's more likely now. And don't tell me you're not excited about the rookies: Aaron Nesmith can shoot the lights out and Payton Pritchard has already impressed Marcus Smart with his toughness.
Celtics skeptic: Hmm! Interesting that you mentioned the rookies and didn't say anything at all about Kemba's knee.
Look, maybe the two guys they drafted will be great, but there's a reason that you're desperately making a case for Tatum turning into an MVP candidate. Nobody can get excited about an offseason in which they lost Hayward and Wanamaker and added Thompson and Teague.
I'm not going to get too worked up about the backup PG swap, but Wanamaker is more versatile and delivered in the playoffs. Thompson is fine value, I guess, but I don't understand the fit. In what world did the Celtics need yet another role-playing center?
Celtics believer: It sure would've been nice to have Thompson in September. Remember how that series ended? I can't picture Bam Adebayo plowing through Thompson the same way he did Theis.
Celtics skeptic: If that was the motivation for the signing, it feels like a massive overreaction. Grant Williams is strong as an ox and can switch, so why not just let him develop? Robert Williams is getting better and better, so why marginalize him?
Regardless of how you feel about Thompson, you have to admit that this is an obvious misallocation of resources. I'm not going to say that nobody should use the MLE on a center, but teams with glaring needs elsewhere definitely shouldn't.
Celtics believer: Eh, we'll see how glaring those supposed needs are. I want to see the young guys play. And if it turns out they need another proven player, they can still get someone who makes much more than the MLE. They have the largest trade exception in NBA history! $28.5 million!
Celtics skeptic: I get why the trade exception is fun to talk about, but no one should be allowed to say that it's the largest one in NBA history without immediately adding that the Celtics are hard-capped and likely want to avoid the luxury tax. Unless they clear cap space before using it, they can't take back more than about $22 million and almost certainly won't take back more than around $15 million. Do not expect Danny Ainge to add an All-Star.
Celtics believer: All I'm saying is Ainge has flexibility. I believe the Celtics are deeper than people think, and if I'm wrong then the front office can add somebody in between now and the trade deadline. It doesn't take an All-Star to raise a team's ceiling -- the Heat surely wouldn't have made it out of the second round, let alone have made the Finals, without trading for Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala in February.
To be clear, I'm not surprised that there seems to be a sense that the Celtics will take a step back. I won't be surprised, either, when they exceed expectations. That's what they've done every year in the Brad Stevens era, aside from the one time they were hyped as championship contenders.
Eye on: Payton Pritchard
Of all of Boston's up-and-comers, Pritchard is the most likely to make up for some of the playmaking that went out the door with Hayward. He was an efficient creator in college, and he's clever enough -- and a good enough shooter, judging by his senior year -- that it's easy to imagine him earning a real role right away, provided that he can survive on the other end.
Pritchard is also the player who stands to benefit the most if the Celtics continue to be cautious with Walker's knee. He'll get an opportunity, and I'll bet Boston fans go nuts for him as soon as he makes a couple of pull-up 3s in the preseason.
"again" - Google News
December 14, 2020 at 11:49PM
https://ift.tt/37ftQuk
Back again: The 2020-21 Boston Celtics season preview, starring Jayson Tatum and a Hayward-sized hole to fill - CBS Sports
"again" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YsuQr6
https://ift.tt/2KUD1V2
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Back again: The 2020-21 Boston Celtics season preview, starring Jayson Tatum and a Hayward-sized hole to fill - CBS Sports"
Post a Comment