Why The Boston Celtics Could Be Keeping Their Eyes Out For A Veteran

https://www.forbes.com/sites/hunterfelt/2021/12/28/why-the-boston-celtics-could-be-keeping-their-eyes-out-for-a-veteran/?sh=7209236672f5



Why The Boston Celtics Could Be Keeping Their Eyes Out For A Veteran


Hunter Felt
Hunter FeltContributor
SportsMoney



So far, it’s looking like the Boston Celtics’ Opening Day victory over the Milwaukee Bucks is looking like an exception rather than a rule. After falling in back-to-back games against the Brooklyn Nets and the Indiana Pacers, the Celtics have looked more like the team that went winless in the preseason than the one who managed a one-point victory over Milwaukee. While this hasn’t been a big enough sample size to make any major judgments about this team, they haven’t exactly proven to skeptics that the roster could be due an improvement or two.

Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown managed to score at least 30 points in that Game 1 victory and Tatum impressively ended things with a game-winning three-pointer. That looked to be a possible blueprint for how the Celtics could piece together wins against formidable opponents, but their next two games brought them back to earth. Neither of the Jays managed to break the 30-point threshold against the Nets or the Pacers and Tatum’s less thoughtful three at the end of last night’s loss felt like the exact reverse of his Opening Day game-winner.


It’s not just the young players that have fallen back to earth. Jeff Teague, signed to play point guard in place of the absent Kemba Walker, managed to score 19 points in his Celtics debut and then managed zero against the Nets. Teague managed to go 9-from-10 on the free-throw line yesterday, which looked alright on its own until examined next to the fact that also missed all six of his field-goal attempts in the game.

Meanwhile, now that Enes Kanter has returned to the Portland Trail Blazers, head coach Brad Stevens has put together a starting lineup featuring Daniel Theis at center and Tristan Thompson at power forward. The two have managed to find their way into their share of rebounds but have scored 10 points combined against the Nets and 11 against the Pacers yesterday. Thompson’s zero minutes played in the preseason certainly hasn’t helped him, although Theis’s quiet stretches are a bit more concerning.

Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
·
Dec 27, 2020
Celtics shot 50.6% from the floor tonight in the 107-106 loss at Indiana.

That ends a 40-game Celtics win streak when shooting 50+% dating back to November of 2018.
Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
The other half of this?

Last year the Celtics allowed 50% shooting just 8 times in the 72 game season.

It's happened in all 3 games to start this year.

The Celtics are allowing 52.0% shooting through the season's first week...last in the league.
10:31 PM · Dec 27, 2020


Here’s the thing, though: because of the Covid-19 shortened offseason, the Celtics have only had two preseason games. In both of them, the Celtics looked like a team that desperately needed some more time together before the regular season kicked off. Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker were the team’s veteran starters last year, but Hayward left in free agency and Walker will be recovering from knee surgery for an indeterminate stretch.

Teague was signed to play point guard in Walker’s stead, but he’s most likely on the back end of his career. Thompson, meanwhile, has spent the entirety of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and probably desperately could have used some preseason minutes to adapt to his new team. Romeo Langford, their top draft pick of 2019, barely got a chance to prove himself his rookie year and will be recovering from wrist surgery for the foreseeable future.

In other words, it’s not surprising that the Celtics have struggled since their thrilling Opening Day victory. Obviously, more time playing together will help this roster, as will the eventual return of Walker. However, there is the possibility that their early struggles could force GM Danny Ainge’s hand. If you recall, the Celtics managed to finagle a sign-and-trade with the Hornets that brought them back a $28.5 million trade exemption. In an ideal world, the Celtics would hold off on using it, but a brutal win-loss streak, combined with Walker’s continued absence, could force them to make a move to bring in an accomplished veteran.

Now, who exactly that would be? Well, that’s probably still to be determined. Possible targets could include the San Antonio Spurs’ LaMarcus Aldridge or the Orlando Magic’s Eric Gordon, assuming either team was willing to make a deal. The Celtics won’t exactly be looking for a franchise-changing player here, more for one that could stabilize a roster that’s currently overstuffed with unproven talent and could use a reliable vet.

Now, the season has only been three games, with one of those being an impressive victory, so it’s not like the Celtics should feel desperate to make a change yet. Right now, the Celtics may not even have a decent sense of who their biggest trade target would be. That said, sometimes in the NBA time slips past you all of a sudden and, on top of that, it’s not like a team can hold onto a trade exception indefinitely. Don’t be shocked if Boston decides it’s time to make a move sooner rather than later.


Bob



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