Boston Celtics have the NBA’s 2nd-best young core per recent Bleacher Report assessment

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/boston-celtics-nba-2nd-best-185643777.html



Boston Celtics have the NBA’s 2nd-best young core per recent Bleacher Report assessment



Justin Quinn
Sat, August 28, 2021, 11:56 AM


The Boston Celtics have one of the best young cores of any team in the league according to a recent article by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report — in fact, second-best in the entire NBA. In his assessment of the top 10 best young cores in the Association this week, Buckley only puts the Atlanta Hawks core of Trae Young, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu, and Jalen Johnson above the Celtics.

Counting Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams III, Payton Pritchard, and Aaron Nesmith as Boston’s core, it’s slotted one above that of the New Orleans Pelicans with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kira Lewis Jr., and Jaxson Hayes.

“The Celtics might pack the heaviest two-man punch of any young nucleus so far with Tatum and Brown,” suggests Buckley, who relates the team has “legitimate depth” beyond them, adding they “finished closer to first than third and has multiple arguments for No. 1.”

“Boston shouldn’t count on another star emerging from this core,” opines the B/R analyst, “but Williams locks down the defensive end inside and out, Pritchard packs a steady scoring punch and Nesmith can be a flamethrower from three.”


Bob
MY NOTE:  So, how young does a player have to be to be considered "young core"?  Regardless, I'm just fine with this.  I'll take the Js over Trae Young and any other one of his running mates anyday.  It's about quality and quantity, not just quantity, and that's especially true when you're talking about youth.  Teams with too many young players, no matter how good they are, rarely win Championships.  Two All-Stars is better than one.  One also has to consider longevity.  Trae Young is 6'1", 180# and getting dinged by elbows and hips fighting through screens hurts.  Also, if we cannot count on another star emerging from our core, who can Atlanta count on?  I'm underwhelmed by John Collins, to be completely honest and I think it's way too soon to annoint any of the other Hawks on that list.  Who would you rather have, Huerter or Nesmith?  I'd rather have Nesmith.  He's a better shooter than Huerter and certainly no worse a defender.  D'Andre Hunter or Payton Pritchard?  I'm still sticking with Fast PP.  The one thing I have to give the Hawks is that their 4s are good.  Reddish and Okongwu are beasts, and Jalen Johnson will be be good too. I wish we had their young 4s. Maybe we do. Maybe the reason why 23 year old Bruno Fernando wasn't included in our "young core" is just because he has been given a chance yet? Jalen Johnson hasn't laced up an NBA sneaker yet, it's all potential and hope with him so far, and he was the #20 pick this year. So he isn't even a lottery pick. Jabari Parker was the #2 pick and now he's on the bubble with a very good chance of getting cut. He's only 26, has been in the league 7 years and has been on 6 teams. A #2 pick, now a journeyman but, at one time, he was the centerpiece of Milwaukee's "really good young core".


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Sorry but I would put the Celtics at #1.

How the hell do you put Jaylen Johnson in that mix. He has played in zero regular season games. And, Cam Reddish has in fact been a huge disappointment. Huerter can shoot but is a sub zero defender. Trae can score but is a sub/sub zero defender.

The Jays are so freakin good that there is no comparison

Let me put it to you this way. Would you trade our young core for their core?

Hell NO, I would not do that.

Agreed Trae is not a good defender at all, whenever I see Hawks play, I’m shocked teams don’t attack him more. Maybe a few plays, but he never gets killed/destroyed like other teams used to do to Kemba.

We do have to see how Jalen Johnson does in the regular season, but he was a pure stud in SL. John Collins is good, but I agree I’d rather have 2 J’s and our core than their young core. RWill has to stay healthy, GWill has to stay off the floor.