2020 NBA restart: Do any free agents make sense for Celtics?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/2020-nba-restart-free-agents-200254058.html



2020 NBA restart: Do any free agents make sense for Celtics?



Chris Forsberg
NBC Sports Boston

June 23, 2020, 1:02 PM PDT



The NBA's pre-bubble transaction window opened Tuesday and teams can now tinker with their rosters before 22 teams relocate (fingers crossed) to Orlando to finish the 2019-20 season at Mickey Mouse's house.

The Celtics, you'll remember, let the trade deadline pass without activity then, once Marvin Williams elected to sign with Milwaukee, didn't pay much mind to the buyout scrapheap. Still, the question returns anew on the ramp back to basketball: Do the Celtics need to upgrade their roster before the restart?

Boston is at the 15-player roster limit and would need to waive a player in order to make a move (we broke it all down here) Unless there's an injury or someone elects to sit out the bubble, we'd say it's unlikely the Celtics make any sort of move but this is certainly a unique situation where every bit of depth could help along the way.

Let's look at the familiar names that might be available and ponder their fit.


Isaiah Thomas


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports

A nostalgia favorite, there is many a Celtic fan with a No. 4 jersey in their closet who longs for Boston to give Thomas a chance to rekindle that 2017 magic.

The heart says yes — 2020 could use a feel good story, no? And at the Magic Kingdom, where dreams come true! — and yet this roster simply isn’t built to afford Thomas the sort of big-minute playing time needed to find his old game.

There would be defensive concerns that might offset whatever offensive punch he could provide.


Trey Burke


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports


At full health, the Celtics can limit the minutes they need to lean on Brad Wanamaker, the overseas-groomed vet who has earned Brad Stevens’ trust over his first two NBA seasons.

Any erosion of depth, particularly one that elevates Marcus Smart to a starting role, and suddenly the team is thin on proven guard depth. Burke has plenty of NBA time but only three playoff games (with the Wizards in 2016-17) on his résumé and the team would probably prefer more of a creator in that depth role (though Burke shooting 42.1 percent on 3s before being cut free by Philly is noteworthy).


Jamal Crawford


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports


Any Celtics writer making a list like this is required by law to include both Thomas and Crawford.

His scoring history is certainly tantalizing and yet sometimes we think everyone forgets that Jayson Tatum was still in diapers when Crawford was drafted. His defense was an eyesore even before he reached 40 years of age.


Gerald Green


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports


If Green is healthy after a broken foot derailed his 2019-20 season, then we have to at least put him on our list.

This is a player whom Stevens elevated to starter after the Celtics fell behind the Bulls 0-2 back in 2017. Boston simply has too much wing depth to see the Celtics navigating the necessary roster hurdles to make a Green return a reality at the start of the transaction window.


Iman Shumpert


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports


The biggest thing going for Shumpert is experience. He’s played in 79 playoff games and won a title with the Cavaliers in 2016.

He gave the Nets some decent minutes while Wilson Chandler was suspended but, preparing for his 30th birthday, he’d seem emergency wing depth at best for any contender.


Allen Crabbe


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports


The Allen Crabbe who shot 30.3 percent between stints with Atlanta and Minnesota this season? Hard pass.

The Allen Crabbe who shot 41.1 percent over four seasons with Portland? Probably still a hard pass but at least you’d think about it.



JR Smith


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports


Only if Danny Ainge needs a golfing buddy in the bubble.

Otherwise Marcus Smart might fight him.


DeMarcus Cousins


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports

Word came out Tuesday that Cousins would likely sit out the bubble in hopes of preparing to be at full health for next season. After three major leg injuries, that’s probably a prudent path.

For Celtics fans wondering how their team will defend the likes of Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo, even a one-legged, combustible former All-Star was worth pondering.


Dragan Bender


Photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports

In past seasons, the Celtics would swoop in with open roster spots and try to nab a young player they hoped could develop further down the road.

Cut free after the Bucks signed Williams, Bender — the 4th overall pick in 2016 — is still only 22 and 7-footers will never not be intriguing. Alas, Boston probably needs any available roster spot to add a playoff-ready body.



bob
MY NOTE:  Don't shoot the messenger, I just post'em.  I don't write'em nor necessarily agree with'em.  Personally, if this is the best available then I say we should go with the one that brung us.  IF HEALTHY I could see adding IT.  He knows Brad's system, he loves Boston (even though none of the games will be played before Celtic fans) and he is electric.  We don't need 30mpg and 30ppg from him.  He just needs to heat up quickly however long he's on the floor.  Other than that?  I say pass.  Never been a fan of JR, although he sure can shoot, but he's 34 and he pisses me off.  Trey Burke?  Meh.  Jamal is older than dirt.  I know we're not asking a lot, a handful of minutes in a handful of games, but 40 year olds?  I'd rather have Vince Carter for my token nonagenarian.  Green would be nice, he certainly saved our asses in the Chicago series 2 years back, but Jaylen has blossomed since then and Tatum is no longer wet behind the ears.  Shumpert would be a nice defensive stopper at 2, I'll give him that.  It would give Brad the flexibility to play Jaylen at 3 if he wants, knowing that Shumpert could play 2 (with either Kemba or Smart at 1).  Cousins would be a nice addition IF HEALTHY.  I know, I know, he makes JR Smith look like a Mensa Member but OH, the talent!  He could replace Grant Williams EASILY with a significant upgrade too.  He might not be available, for the reasons mentioned but if...I was a big fan of Dragan Bender during his draft, I thought he was going to be the next Porzingis, the next unicorn.  I was dead wrong.  No thank you.  How do you say "have a nice life" in Croatian?


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Bob, here's the answer to your question: Želim ti ugodan živo

than

dboss wrote:Bobh now that you have mentioned how old Crawford is,  I am much less inclined to see him as an option.

The most logical choice would be the "Little Guy"  He had a pretty good year.  He played in 40 games while averaging 12.2 PPG and shot .413% from deep,  His FT was 82% and he also averaged 3.7 assists.  As you pointed out he knows the system.  

In retrospect he was not going to get a brink's truck full of money but the tragedy he went through was painful.  The Celtics gave up on him.  And his replacement was never a true Celtic.

Danny could help right the wrong that was done to him and the Celtics chances would improve by adding a veteran of his character.

When I look at our scoring options off the bench I would rather has IT taking shots than most everyone on the bench (including Wannamaker, Edwards, Langford, G Williams, Waters, etc. ect. ect)

dboss,

If I were Danny, and I'm not, I'd politely pull Carsen Edwards aside and ask him how he'd feel sitting, this last sprint to the finish, out? He'd still have his contract for next year, he's just not in Orlando. Then I'd sign IT. Proven scorer, proven passer (better than Edwards, for sure), not much more of a liability on defense I think.

I'm fine with Wanny coming off the bench for veteran stability, leadership and physical defense (our bench, with the two Williams kids making the top 10 or 11 playoff roster makes us quite young and inexperienced), it's our scoring options off the bench (or, rather, our lack of) that scare me. We need a microwave. We had Gerald Green a few years back and he served us quite well in the Chicago series. We thought we had one in Edwards but he turned out to be a 90-day wonder. Waters would be an option too, except that makes us even younger and less experienced off the bench.


bob


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jrleftfoot wrote:I'm with the IT crew, and appreciate Bob's  nod to Wanamaker, who all the Fansided morons, who play metrics without ever watching a game, knock  consistently. His free throw percentage, 3 point shooting and strong defense are more important than some realize.

JR,

Let's not forget that Wanny  is a 2X German League Champion (with Theis), Turkish League Champion (2018) and a multiple German and Turkish League All-Star.  I'm not saying this makes him great but it is documented, and winning, postseason experience for him.  Is he as talented as some of the players he'll be going up against?  Maybe not, but there's a lot to be said for "been there, done that".  A coach wants to know "if I put this guy in, what can I expect from him?".  With Wanny, Brad knows he'll get all those things you cited and, when they game gets physical and you need someone who can be physical back and not give you empty possessions, Brad Wanamaker's league-leading 93% frito shooting and 2.27 assist-to-turnover ratio mitigates his concerns.  He's a known quantity.

Here's another stat of his that hasn't gotten any attention: He committed 50 shooting fouls and committed 5 offensive fouls, but drew 55 shooting fouls and drew 4 offensive charges. That's good stuff right there.

Here's one more: His fg% inside of 3' is 65.6%. By comparison Marcus Smart's is 53%, so Wanny's holding his own at the rim.


bob



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