Celtics Off-Season Recap

 

  The 2020-2021 Boston Celtics team is going to look quite a bit different than last year’s team. The first few days of the free agency was like a roller coaster ride, especially following the news of Gordon Hayward. After looking like Hayward might opt-in to be traded, be a part of a sign-and-trade with Indiana, it appears like he has just signed outright with the Charlotte Hornets. This is obviously a pretty significant blow, just to lose him for nothing, but I believe we recouped a lot of the value lost in both the draft and free agency. As good as Hayward was as a fourth option, he was still a fourth option. Along with Hayward there were a few more pieces that have gone elsewhere for this upcoming season.

After not extending the qualifying offer to Brad Wanamaker, he signed a one-year deal with Golden State. After expressing displeasure with his role with the team, Vincent Poirier was dealt to OKC for a conditional 2nd round draft pick. The last departure from the Celtics was Enes Kanter being traded back to Portland on a draft night trade that had some important implications. We received a future draft consideration from Memphis, as well as turning Boston's MLE from 5.7mil to 9mil, which we used to help bolster our frontcourt. 
The Celtics had three big needs that needed to be addressed before this offseason was over, grabbing a solid back-up PG, adding a center who can compliment Theis and Timelord, and lastly improve our bench shooting. I was very happy that the Celtics were able to accomplish all three. The frontcourt piece that we added using the increased MLE was Tristan Thompson, a player Celtic’ fans should be very familiar with. Thompson seems to get 12+ boards every time he plays the Cs. He provides a rebounding presence and a bigger body than Theis, I believe Brad will use them in the best matchups for their respective skill sets. The other free agent we added was former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague. Teague is a guy who provides decent spacing, around a 36% 3point shooter for his career, and another playmaker that this bench unit desperately needed. 
The Celtics were able to add the best shooter in this year’s draft with the last pick in the lottery, which was Aaron Nesmith from Vanderbilt. Nesmith was a 41% 3point shooter over 46 games in his two years of college ball. They also selected another player in the first round of this draft, Oregon point guard Paytan Pritchard. Pritchard will probably spend some of this year in Maine, developing his game so that he can fill the back-up point guard role in the 2021-2022 season. He looks to be a decent shooter and good facilitator.
    Overall I was fairly happy with this offseason, was it a perfect offseason? No. What they did do was strengthen their weaknesses and they look poised to be competing to win the east once again. A lot of people will consider this a bad offseason because of the Hayward sign-and-trade debacle, but I believe they are a much deeper team than last year and will be propelled by the play of Tatum and Brown. I also should note that Tatum has just signed his max rookie extension, which should be exciting for Celtics fans as now we have six years of control for this 22 year-old budding superstar.

NBA 2020 Draft Preview

2020 NBA Mock Draft

  

  I'm very excited for this year's upcoming draft, there is certainly a lot of unknowns heading into tonight. There was no tournament, no in person interviews, no combine, but we still have a some draft risers and fallers. I'll briefly go over some of the most important picks. 
    There is certainly is no consensus number 1 pick, but it seems like James Wiseman is the consensus number 2. It seems like number 1 is either going to be Lamelo Ball or Anthony Edwards. Wiseman, Ball, and Edwards seem like they will almost certainly be the top 3 off the board. 
    The biggest riser I have seen in the lottery is Patrick Williams out of FSU. He is incredibly athletic, but definitely a raw prospect. It seems like a very Knicksy pick, especially if he doesn't pan out. My favorite player outside the top 3 is Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton is a big point guard who can facilitate. He is a very safe pick, with a pretty high upside. 
    The international prospects in this draft are also very intriguing. Avdija, Maldon, and Pokusevski all have a wide range of volatility in where they will fall in this draft. I like all three of these guys, I think they all have skills that can make them productive NBA players. 
`Lastly, we have Onyeka Okongwu he was a guy who I saw rising up draft boards, because of his athleticism and defensive potential. Unfortunately, he has just suffered a fractured toe, so we'll see if he stays in the top five or slides due to injury. 
    I expect a few teams to try to make some moves tonight such as the Celtics, Hawks, and Rockets. I think this could be a pretty deep draft and I definitely expect some diamonds in the rough in this draft class.

 

2010s All-Decade Team (Better Than B/R)

 2010s All-Decade Team

A few months ago now, Bleacher Report came out with their All-Decade team for the 2010s. It was as Stephen A. would say, ‘Blasphemous.' I took the time and looked over some of the accolades and achievements of some of the best players over the past ten years and made my amendments to their mediocre list. Just a fair warning, I tended to lean peak over longevity here. I just feel like it is more impressive to make two 1st teams, rather than five 3rd teams. 

3rd Team:

G: Chris Paul: Chris Paul could very arguably be on the second team here, but he hasn’t done enough in the postseason to dethrone Kobe here. He’s made six All-NBA teams, but he has no other awards or accomplishments to his name. He has only once even made it to the conference finals. He is a great defender and playmaker, but he just doesn’t move the needle enough for me to put him on my 2nd team. 

G:Dwyane Wade: The Flash was still a high level player for most of this decade, he made four All-NBA teams. He was also part of the second best dynasty of this decade, the heatles. He was able to win two titles with Lebron and Bosh, before Lebron went back to Cleveland. 

F: Blake Griffin: With the way this decade started for the reigning Blake of the Year, I really expected him to at least be on 2nd team. When Blake was healthy he was as talented as any forward in this decade. He could attack the rim, rebound, shoot threes, and was a great playmaker for a big. We saw a flash of his old self in his first full season with Detroit, where he was able to make an All-NBA 3rd team. Along with that third team in Detroit, he made four additional All-NBA teams.

F: Paul George: George has been consistently one of the better players this decade, with the exception of the season he missed after destroying his leg. He has made five All-NBA teams, is a great defender and even finished top-3 in MVP voting with OKC. Despite him being constantly clowned all over social media, he truly is one of the best players from this decade and is deserving of this 3rd team selection.

C: Marc Gasol: The Championship last season really helped to put him over the top against some of the other top big men of this decade. He was a huge part of the Grit-and-Grind Grizzlies’ teams earlier in the decade. Despite no real major team success, Marc accomplished a lot to put on his own resume. He made 2 All-NBA teams, 3 All-Star games, and won a DPOY in the 2010s. Definitely not a glamorous pick for this spot, but there were many centers that were very close together in terms of pedigree. 

2nd Team:

G: Russell Westbrook: Westbrook is an incredibly polarizing player, who in the last couple years before going to Houston was a walking triple-double. He was able to rack up 8 All-NBA selections over this decade, which is more than Steph and Harden. He has an argument to be on the first team rather than Harden, but I believe Harden was the better overall player. It is also important to note he had a semi-controversial MVP.

G: Kobe Bryant: A legend gone too soon, Kobe is one of the rare players who would be considered a top-10 player over multiple decades. The 2010s were at the end of his prime, but he was still able to rack up points and accolades in the first half of this decade. He started off this decade with a championship and a finals MVP. He was able to rack up four All-NBA 1st teams, all from 2010 to 2013

F: Giannis Antetokounmpo: Giannis' run of dominance began in the later half of this decade and looks to continue his reign into the 2020s. He has already made 3 All-NBA teams, has won the MIP, as well as the MVP in the 2019 season. A case may be made against his longevity in this decade, but the last few years have been dominant.

F: Kawhi Leonard: The Klaw was very successful this decade, both as an individual and his teams. Despite only making 3 All-NBA, he is clearly deserving of this spot. During the 2010s he won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, two Championships and two Finals’ MVPs to go along with it. It is clear he has been an incredible player this decade, but the longevity doesn’t even put him close to KD or Lebron.

C: Anthony Davis: Another example of someone who just doesn’t have the longevity to make the first team. He is nowhere close to the accolades that Dwight has put up at this point in his career, but it is coming soon. I will not be surprised if he wins an MVP and/or DPOY in the next three years. He still was able to make 3 All-NBA teams and 3 All-Defensive teams. The elite big man seems to be becoming more rare, but Davis is one of the few exceptions. 

1st Team:

G:James Harden: made six All-NBA teams including five 1st team selections this decade. Harden won the 2017-2018 NBA MVP, with all those accolades it is easy to see why he would make the All-Decade team. During this span he also made seven All-Star games, won a 6th Man of the Year award, led the league in scoring three times and assists once. Although no teammates may want to play with him, his statistics and accomplishments are enough to earn him a first team spot. 

G:Stephen Curry: Clearly the only player to win a unanimous MVP, the 2nd of his back-to-back MVP awards has to make first team for this decade. I don’t think it is even a stretch to say that he is the second greatest point guard of all time. His three championships during this decade certainly helped his case as well. He also made the All-Star and All-NBA teams six times during this stretch, including three 1st teams. Curry was able to lead the league in both scoring and steals once this decade as well. Making him a clear choice for the PG of the 2010s.

F: LeBron James: The 2010s was Lebron’s Decade. He made 10 All-NBA teams, including 9 first teams.During this decade he also racked up 3 MVPs, 3 Championships, and 3 Finals’ MVPs. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, and this is the decade in which he cemented his legacy. He was the greatest player of the 2010s and was an easy choice for this 1st team. 

F: Kevin Durant: Durant is another all time player whose prime spanned the whole decade. Durant is one of the most talented scorers of all-time, leading the league in scoring four times this decade. He also was able to rack up 9 All-NBA teams over these ten years, as well as an MVP award. His two championships and finals’ MVPs also helped to put him firmly on this first team.

C:Dwight Howard: The fact that Dwight didn’t make Bleacher Reports 1st, 2nd, or honorable mention is as outrageous. I was a huge fan of Dwight on the Magic, and I think people forgot how dominant he was for the first part of this decade. He made 5 All-NBA teams, including three first teams. He won two of his three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award honors during this decade, as well as finishing 2nd in MVP voting in 2011. He also led the league in rebounds per game three times, and led the league in blocks once. Bleacher Report might not give him his due, but I will.

Celtics Off-Season 2020 2.0

 

Celtics Off-Season 2020 2.0

     I have seen a lot more players linked to the Celtics in both trade talks and in this upcoming free agency. There are three particular moves I have seen that I have really liked. John Hollinger shared his expected player worth for centers for this upcoming season.  The only name from that list that really stuck out to me was Serge Ibaka at 5.5mil. If Ibaka is going for MLE money then I would love to have him. He would be able to provide good rim protection as well as spacing from the center position. Another big man that I want to come back to Boston is Aron Baynes. I wouldn't be surprised if he would be willing to sign for around the 5 million dollar range. I expect many players to be signing one year deals that would be typically below market value. Baynes, like Ibaka, can guard bigs like Embiid and provide additional spacing. I loved him when he was in Boston two years ago, and I still think that he would be a great fit for the 2021 season.

    The trade I would like to see is one brought to my attention by Dan Greenberg. The move he suggested was Derrick Rose for Enes Kanter and our 14th overall pick. This all hinges on if Enes Kanter accepts his player option for 5mil for this upcoming season. Derrick Rose makes just a tad over seven million this year, so in order to make the money work it would likely have to be Kanter. We could package a few of our young players on their rookie deals, but losing someone like Grant, Timelord, or Romeo, I think would be giving up too much. So let's just say Kanter does opt-in, how does this benefit the Celtics? Like I said in my most recent blog, the Celtics are in desperate need of bench scoring as well as someone to back-up Kemba. Derrick Rose will definitely provide both those things if he comes to Boston. This also benefits the Cs by addition by subtraction. I think Kanter was a positive considering he was only making 5 million last year, but he has his shortcomings. He struggles defensively, sometimes looking like he’s on ice skates when he has to defend the pick-and-roll. His rebounding and post scoring will be missed, but it also opens up more minutes for Robert Williams. I really like the idea of the big rotation being Theis, Baynes/Ibaka, and Timelord, because they all have different skill sets that you could use depending on the matchup. Even if they don't sign one of the two aforementioned bigs, a trio of Theis, Timelord, and Grant could be pretty solid.

Celtics Off-Season 2020

 

Celtics Off-Season 2020

The Celtics surprised quite a few people this season after losing Kyrie Irving and Al Horford due to free agency. Along with those two they also traded away two key pieces in Terry Rozier in a sign-and-trade with Charlotte, as well as Aron Baynes in a move to create more cap space. 

    They used those two trades in order to bring in All-Star Point Guard Kemba Walker. They also made moves to bolster their bench by bringing in Brad Wanamaker and Enes Kanter as free agents, additionally they drafted Grant Williams and Romeo Langford with their 2019 1st round picks. 

    The Celtics finished with a record of 48-24 in the Covid shortened season, and finished with the number 3 seed in the eastern conference. After beating the Sixers and Raptors in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Celtics fell to the Heat in 6 games. Despite having most of their cap space locked up for the 2020-2021 season, there are still moves the Celtics can make to put them over the top.

 I’ll discuss the ways they can improve through free agency and in the upcoming draft. First things first, the weaknesses of the Celtics have to be looked at. I think most of their concerns could be fixed by getting a good bench scorer to play meaningful rotation minutes. As a whole unit the only stat that was concerning was they were 25th in assists, getting a playmaker for the bench unit other than Marcus Smart will definitely help. Their bench on the other hand had many more concerns. The Cs ranked 29th in bench points, 23rd in bench assists, 28th in bench 3P%, and dead last in bench 3 pointers made per game. 

    The Celtics are pretty tied up financially for the upcoming season, the only moves the Celtics can really make in free agency are for players for the veteran minimum or a player willing to sign for the MLE. None of these players are really going to wow you as a fan, but we are looking to acquire the 2nd or 3rd man off the bench, not a superstar player. The first name I looked at was Jeff Teague, last year Teague averaged 11PPG, 5APG, and shot about 37% from 3. If he would be willing to sign for the MLE, I think the celtics would love to have him. The second name is a familiar face to the Boston faithful, in Avery Bradley. I would expect him to be a candidate for a MLE, he is coming off a season where he averaged 8.6PPG and shot over 36% from deep. Bradley will also be a plus defender, which never hurts. Lastly, I think Alec Burks would be a great addition to the roster. Last year, he averaged a career high 15PPG and shot 38.5% from 3. I think Burks may be looking for a bigger deal than the expected 6mil or so, but he fix a lot of the Celtics’ bench scoring woes. 

    The Celtics have 3 first round draft picks. I think they could do one of two things with these picks. I think the first option, the one I’d like to see, would be to package all 3 of these first round picks and try to trade up somewhere into the top 10 and get a player like Devin Vassell out of FSU or Tyrese Haliburton from Iowa State. I like the latter for his playmaking ability and size for the position. Vassell, is an athletic 6’7” wing who projects to be a good shooter and plus defender. 

If the Celtic decide to stay put at 14 I would like to see them take Aaron Nesmith out of Vanderbilt, Nesmith is a wing who is a good shooter and defender.  Theo Maldon is another player who should be available at this pick. He is a 6’5” international point guard prospect from France, there is always a lot of uncertainty with international prospects, but he projects to have similar strengths as Haliburton. At the 26 & 30 range I would like the Celtics to take 2 of these  following prospects. Jahmius Ramsey, a 6’4” guard out of Texas Tech. Zeke Nnaji, a 6’11” big man from Arizona. Lastly, Daniel Oturu, a 6’10” center from Minnesota. All three should be available when the Celtics have a chance to pick at 26.