Taking It Easy: Could The Same Core Compete?

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4712540/taking-it-easy-could-same-core-compete


Taking it easy: Could same core compete?
April, 18, 2014
APR 18 10:30 AM ET
By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com



After reading our after-the-season Take 'Em of Trash 'Em polls, some commenters balked at the notion that we lobbied for the return of 10 players from this year's Boston Celtics roster. And you can understand their logic: Why bring back a similar looking team after a 25-57 campaign in which the Celtics posted the third worst winning percentage in team history?

With the usual caveats that nobody knows how this roster will look next season -- fireworks could give this group another makeover, or the team might be content to simply shuffle the deck a bit and add talent to its core -- we don't necessarily believe it's outlandish to think that Boston could compete moving forward with many of the same faces back.

Looking ahead to next season, even if the Celtics make minimal changes, the team is likely to have (1) A healthier Rajon Rondo; (2) A more experienced Brad Stevens; and (3) Two first-round picks, including a lottery selection (assuming they keep the picks). That's a pretty solid base to build off.

After Wednesday's season finale, Rondo, who said he'll offer advice on roster construction, was asked if he'd like to see additions to the roster.

"I think we finished the season with 10 guys, so hopefully we can get five more guys, a strong group of 15 guys," said Rondo.

Pressed on if he'd want big changes, Rondo offered, "Who knows? If it’s one guy that competes, buys into the system, and plays with the team."

The Celtics have two particularly glaring needs: A rim protector (or at least a talented pure center) and a go-to scoring presence that can aid late-game situations. Neither role is particularly easy to fill in the NBA. But let's say the Celtics use their trade exception and some future picks to go pry Omer Asik from Houston, or try to sign-and-trade for someone like free-agent-to-be Marcin Gortat. And let's say the ping-pong balls bounce their way and Boston ends up landing a high pick like Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker. Even with the return of the 10 players we advocated for in the Take 'Em of Trash 'Em poll, here's a potential depth chart:

Guards: Rondo, Avery Bradley, Phil Pressey
Swingmen: Jeff Green, Jabari Parker, Gerald Wallace, Chris Johnson
Bigs: Omer Asik, Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Kris Humphries, Vitor Faverani

The Celtics could fill out their roster with the team's other first-round pick (assuming it keeps the selection) and Ainge could bring back additional talent if able to move the likes of Brandon Bass, Joel Anthony, or Keith Bogans' nonguaranteed contract in deals.

Does that 12-man roster compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference? Absolutely. We can't say it's a conference title contender, but it's in the playoff mix. We can't overstate what having some backline help with do for this defense, and adding another young player with a high ceiling would make the future very bright for Boston.

So much depends on how the ping-pong balls bounce on May 20 and what Ainge is able to do with his stash of assets this offseason.

But even Stevens believes his team will improve based solely on the experiences of this past season.

"First of all, I think that the guys that will be back -- and we don’t know exactly who that will be, right? -- the guys that will be back will be better," said Stevens. "I’ll be better. Does that guarantee that you’re going to be really good, or significantly better? No, because you still have to, night in night out, beat the opponent, who is also improving and also getting better. At the end of the day, a lot of it will be determined on how much we all improve in the course of the offseason and what pieces we add that complement the people that are already here, whether they go-to guys or whether they are complementary guys that just fit well. There’s a chance that we could really be looking at both of those. I think at the end of the day, we’ll see how that shakes itself out.

"But the guys that are here will be better if they are back. And I really feel strongly about that."



bob
MY NOTE:  With the exception of Wallace, who will be 32 years old next year and coming off of surgery, none of our players are "old" and should be expected to have a decline in their production from age or wear-and-tear.  In that respect, we will be better.  Sully will be better, Kelly will be more like what we saw in the 2nd half of the season and not what we saw in the 1st half.  Bayless will have a camp under his belt.  Pressey will be a year older and, hopefully, worked really really hard on his shooting over the summer.  Rondo will be further away from his surgery too.  Stevens will be better.  We won't lose quite as many close ones.  So, instead of 25 wins, maybe we win 32-35 next year.  Atlanta's in, with 38 wins.  A few more wins, and we could make the playoffs next year, given the pathetic state of the EC, and that's with this core.  Give us a rim protector and an assassin and we're definitely on the upswing.

P.S.  That "potential depth chart" Forsberg throws out there is crap.  We add Asik and Parker and give up Bass and Bayless and that's "the same core"?  I would consider a player who played in 82 games last year and won the Auerbach Award, which is given the the player that most closely exemplifies what it means to be a Celtic, to be part of "the core".  He might not be as young as Sully and Kelly (he's only 28, has never had a major injury and still in his prime), but he's core.  He also might have to go to get Asik, and that would suck, but that doesn't mean he's not core.  Sometimes you have to give up some of your core to add to your core.


.

To me, "same core" means another season of no big defensive intimidator.  No defensive intimidator means guys once again playing out of position.  Guys once again playing out of position means an unbalanced roster.  An unbalanced roster strongly suggests ragtag lineups (especially when injuries hit), struggling defense, and impediments to acquiring more than rudimentary chemistry.

Sam

The big picture is figuring out how to build a team to compete with the best teams in your conference. How do you beat Indiana and Miami?

The Celtics could retain a majority of the players they have now and add a low post intimidating center to the mix. And the issue of the lack of outside shooters still needs to be addressed. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Stevens would like to have perimeter shooting as one of the main cogs in his system. Currently, this team just doesn't have the snipers.



KJ