2023-24 Celtics Are In Transition

With training camp just 12 days away, Celtics Nation is gearing up for a much anticipated season characterized by significant roster changes.

The addition of Kristaps Porzingis along with the subtraction of Marcus Smart and Grant Williams presents more questions than answers for us to contemplate.  These questions include:

Can Porzingas stay healthy?

How will he fit playing alongside all NBAers and allstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?

How will our PG depth be impacted with no Marcus especially on the defensive end of the court where his sheer determination and grit was a defining element of what he brought to the game?

Is Payton Pritchard ready to assume a more regular role as our 3rd PG in the rotation?

How will 6th man of the year, Malcolm Brogdon respond after the Celtics tried unsuccessfully to trade him to LAC.

Who will be the tough guy off the bench that can fill the role played by Grant Williams?

Which of the new additions between Banton, Brissett, Walsh and Ski will make the biggest contribution?

What's the O/U on the Celtics launching 45 of more 3 point shots per game?

How long before Al Horford ages out?  Will his starter role change this year?

Robert Williams plays in 65 games....O/U?

Will CJ implement his style of play this season?

Will we see more zone defenses from our opponents?

Will the Celtics play more zone defenses and less switch everything sets?

Will CJ play more 2-big lineups or go with a wing dominated starting unit?

My Note - I am quite certain that there are other questions to ponder.  Overall I feel strongly that the Celtics will be the top team in the East.   Saw a report that had them winning 54.5 games this season.  The experts are clearly not as high on them as I am.  We will have a legit big 3 for the league to contend with.  Stay healthy and we are going to smoke the NBA.

[quote="dboss"]With training camp just 12 days away, Celtics Nation is gearing up for a much anticipated season characterized by significant roster changes.

The addition of Kristaps Porzingis along with the subtraction of Marcus Smart and Grant Williams presents more questions than answers for us to contemplate.  These questions include:

Can Porzingas stay healthy?
I doubt it.  He said in a recent interview that he feels his plantar fasciitis only when he exercises and not when he walks.  Yeah, that's how usage injuries work, Z.  You feel them when you use it.  Too bad basketball isn't a sport you walk in.

How will he fit playing alongside all NBAers and allstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?
When he's healthy we should be treated to some amazing basketball.  He is an above average, maybe even elite, passing big.  He's also close to an All-Star level scorer himself.

How will our PG depth be impacted with no Marcus especially on the defensive end of the court where his sheer determination and grit was a defining element of what he brought to the game?
We're going to miss Marcus.  I like Derrick, but now he's all alone out there as far as backcourt defenders go.  If Dalano wants minutes the place to shine is on defense.  If he does that he'll get minutes when Derrick sits because Joe will want at least one backcourt defender at all times.

Is Payton Pritchard ready to assume a more regular role as our 3rd PG in the rotation?
"More regular"?  As in 15-20mpg?  Probably.  25mpg?  No.  Then we're getting where there will be too many mismatches.

How will 6th man of the year, Malcolm Brogdon respond after the Celtics tried unsuccessfully to trade him to LAC.
Like the professional and competitor that he is.  He came here wanting to win a championship.  He still does.

Who will be the tough guy off the bench that can fill the role played by Grant Williams?
Nobody that I'm seeing so far.  Show me something, Oshae.

Which of the new additions between Banton, Brissett, Walsh and Ski will make the biggest contribution?
I'm going with Svi (not Ski.  He's Ukrainian, not Polish) because he has a clear NBA skill set.  I'm hopeful on Walsh, but that's all until I actually see him in a couple of NBA games.  I don't know enough about Oshae to give him too much credit.  Banton, I think, is still a bit of a project.  He seems to lack polish.

What's the O/U on the Celtics launching 45 of more 3 point shots per game?
Last season they took 42.6 3pt fgas/game.  Marcus took 5.6 in 32.1mpg, Grant took 3.7 in 25.9mpg.  That's 9.3 in 58mpg.  Porzingis took 5.5 in 32.6mpg and Svi took 3.1 in 14.6mpg.  That's 8.6 in 47.2mpg.  That nets .7 fewer 3pt fgas in 10.8mpg fewer.  There will be > 1 more 3pt fga taken if Z and Svi play 10mpg more, so I'd go with 'over'.

How long before Al Horford ages out?  Will his starter role change this year?
He's already starting to age out, and Brad signed him for 2 more years.

Robert Williams plays in 65 games....O/U?
Under.  Easy.

Will CJ implement his style of play this season?
If he doesn't then he needs to go back to assistant coaching.  Last year he was thrown into the fire.  This year he gets his shot from Day 1.  It's his team now.  He had a season for the players to get used to him and he's had all summer to prepare for what's coming.  A new coach hired in July would be coming in colder than Joe is this year even if he was a longtime veteran coach.  He'd be new to all the players and his system would be new to all of them too.  Joe's isn't, not to all the players, except for a few.

Will we see more zone defenses from our opponents?
We will in the beginning because we struggled with them last season, and we'll keep seeing them until we prove we can break them.

Will the Celtics play more zone defenses and less switch everything sets?
No.  Zone defense is what you do when you lack good individual defenders and/or when you don't respect their outside shooting.  We have good defenders (I think, still) and most teams can shoot nowadays.

Will CJ play more 2-big lineups or go with a wing dominated starting unit?
2-big.  They didn't get The Unicorn and let Grant go so we could go small.


Bob


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These are all good questions. We should have answers for many of them by Thanksgiving, certainly by Christmas.

Some of the questions would be good for use in a poll.

So, Bob, you're saying both Svi and Banton lack Polish?

"I'm going with Svi (not Ski. He's Ukrainian, not Polish) because he has a clear NBA skill set. I'm hopeful on Walsh, but that's all until I actually see him in a couple of NBA games. I don't know enough about Oshae to give him too much credit. Banton, I think, is still a bit of a project. He seems to lack polish."

worcester wrote:So, Bob, you're saying both Svi and Banton lack Polish?

"I'm going with Svi (not Ski.  He's Ukrainian, not Polish) because he has a clear NBA skill set.  I'm hopeful on Walsh, but that's all until I actually see him in a couple of NBA games.  I don't know enough about Oshae to give him too much credit.  Banton, I think, is still a bit of a project.  He seems to lack polish."

worcester,

Clever, but I'm not going to banter about Banton. Svi has all the polish one can ask of someone who isn't Polish.


Bob


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Bob, check out this TV site. You could be a host.

https://www.facebook.com/TelevisionofNomads

worcester wrote:Bob, check out this TV site. You could be a host.

https://www.facebook.com/TelevisionofNomads

worcester,

Interesting. Seems like it's their own little thing. Nice gig for travelers.


I'll be leaving on a trip next month. I'll start a post a few days beforehand just so people don't think I'm ignoring them or whatever.


Bob


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Just got back from Crete and Santorini myself. I saw one Giannis jersey the entire time in Greece but numerous Chicago Bulls #23 jerseys. Michael is still revered world-wide.

bobheckler wrote:

worcester wrote:Bob, check out this TV site. You could be a host.

https://www.facebook.com/TelevisionofNomads

worcester,

Interesting.  Seems like it's their own little thing.  Nice gig for travelers.


I'll be leaving on a trip next month.  I'll start a post a few days beforehand just so people don't think I'm ignoring them or whatever.


Bob


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Was in Thailand for 2 months this past winter.  Saw a Bird jersey, a Tatum jersey, even saw a Kyrie #11 Celtic jersey (made me throw up a little bit in my mouth).  That's about it, no other team jerseys.

No wonder I love Thailand...


Bob


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