Celtics basketball is almost here! The C’s had a busy offseason, so I’m here to recap it.
Departures:
Starting with the non-player changes, Danny Ainge, the C’s longtime executive finally retired. Ever since Ainge traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and fleeced the Suns for Isaiah Thomas in 2015, he hasn’t done much. Instead, he left his successor with a bloated payroll and no apparent direction. Now, ex-head coach Brad Stevens is the new President of Basketball Operations, so hopefully he can manage as well as he coached.
Now, let’s look at the departed players, starting with the players who didn’t see much playing time. First, Carsen Edwards. When the Celtics took Edwards in the second round in 2019, they were hoping he would become a rotational player at the guard position who could catch fire from beyond the arc at any moment. Unfortunately, that never worked out, as Edwards was traded along with Kris Dunn to Memphis. Edwards was later waived by the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the Celtics also lost longtime forward and defensive stalwart Semi Ojeleye to the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency. Ojeleye could never crack the rotation since being drafted in the second round in 2017, mostly because of his lack of offense and lack of shooting ability. Tremont Waters has also moved on this offseason, signing with the Milwaukee Bucks. When on the court, Waters brought much needed energy and pace. Tacko Fall signed with Cleveland in free agency. He’ll be fighting for a roster spot, as the Cavs have a logjam at the frontcourt position. It’s a relief that Tristan Thompson is gone. Because of his poor fit, he didn’t give the C’s much outside of some interior toughness they’ve been missing since Aron Baynes’s departure. Though this can be debated, another player that’s thankfully out the door is Kemba Walker. Walker’s career in Boston was defined by injuries, as he’s had various knee issues that started since coming to Beantown. Gone too is Evan Fournier, as he signed an $18 million deal with the New York Knicks. Walker and Fournier will reunite in New York, as they try to take the Knicks back to the playoffs.
Additions (not counting training camp invitees):
Ime Udoka will be the new head coach. I really like this hire; he worked under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio for many years, he coached Embiid and Simmons in Philly, and this past year he assisted Steve Nash in coaching that Brooklyn super-team.
The most notable player additions were old Atlanta teammates Dennis Schroder and Al Horford. Schroder is known for being a feisty player, while Horford was known for being Mr. Reliable in his first stint in Boston. He was beloved by his old Celtics teammates so perhaps he can fulfill more of a leadership role. Enes Kanter is another player that teammates loved. He has notable weaknesses on the defensive end, but brings offensive rebounding and a player that can score at will in the paint. The Cs may have snagged a couple of gems too: Josh Richardson and Sam Hauser (Two Way contract). Richardson will be valuable if he recaptures his Miami Heat form, and Hauser can prove his worth if he manages to catch fire from beyond the arc like he did in the summer league. The last two additions were Juancho Hernangomez and Bruno Fernando, two frontcourt pieces that will provide much-needed depth to a team that didn’t have much last season.
Season Preview:
Assuming Udoka will be a competent coach, this Celtics team can surprise people and win 55 or more games and attain a top 4 finish in the conference. Celtics teams of this past decade have historically done better as underdogs, a position that they find themselves in after Stevens added a bunch of under-the-radar players. Stevens also upgraded depth, which was something that hindered the Celtics at times over the past couple of years.
The only real question mark is who plays. The Celtics have four serviceable guards in Smart, Richardson, Pritchard, and Schroder. There are 96 positional minutes available in the backcourt, and I’d love to see Udoka give Pritchard plenty of run. Richardson is also technically a wing, so his minutes could spill out to the 3. That means that Langford and Nesmith will have to battle it out for whatever minutes are left after Brown, Richardson, and Tatum. It also remains to be seen if Horford or Rob Williams will get the bulk of the center minutes.
The Celtics kick off the season on October 20 in New York, so we will get our answers very soon.
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