The Boston Celtics have a lot to discover after failing in the NBA Finals, but the foundation is still going strong.
The Boston Celtics season was like any good mystery novel, full of unexpected twists and crazy turns. With Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown firmly established as one of the best duos in the NBA, many expected the Celtics to compete. And frankly, they did.
But Boston’s season celebration of a worthy effort came up short, perhaps less so strange It was the season. It started in the summer when coach Emi Odoka was suddenly fired for an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. Udoka was well respected in the dressing room and was known for his coaching acumen, especially on the defensive side.
The Celtics have hired 34-year-old Joe Mazzola as the interim head coach with only three years as an NBA assistant under his belt. He eventually shed the temporary tag, was signed to an extension, and finished third in Coach of the Year voting.
Boston again dominated the regular season, claiming 57 wins. This is six more than the previous season under Odoka. Jayson Tatum was prevalent as a marginal MVP candidate, Jaylen Brown rose to the All-NBA Second Team, and the support staff is deeper than ever. Derrick White made the second complete defense team. Malcolm Brogdon wins Sixth Man of the Year.
The Celtics were, on paper, more competitive than ever.
However, lurking beneath the pristine surface was enough turmoil to push the season into a tailspin, Yellow Jackets style. The players never really got over Odoka’s departure. The Celtics’ talent level and sheer depth were enough to overwhelm smaller teams, but the once-daunting defensive juggernaut was suddenly more likely to take nights off.
Once the postseason hit, the Celtics were absolutely the first. Dominant with their backs to the wall, but very willing to step back and regroup for the next game when the other team was fighting from behind.
The No. 7 Atlanta Hawks pushed them to six games and nearly made it to seven. Notoriously inept on the big stage, the Philadelphia 76ers were leading 3-2 as they took a fourth quarter lead at home in game six.
That’s where the No. 8-ranked Miami Heat, everyone’s favorite underdog, awaits them. It was a rematch of last year’s Conference Finals, which the Celtics won. Boston was now the heavy favorite, clearly the better team on paper.
The Heat rallied to a 3-0 lead, before the Celtics – again with their backs on the wall – notched up three straight wins, some closer than others. On the threshold of history in Game 7, Boston collapsed at the seams. Jason Tatum sprained his ankle 20 seconds into the game, Jaylen Brown exploded on an atomic level, and the 44-win Heat dispatched the Celtics’ 57-win summer squad.
For a team built around a young 24-year-old and a 26-year-old, a second consecutive Conference Finals berth and exit in Game 7 is pretty respectable. The Celtics have shown plenty of fighting and there is no denying the talent on the roster. But here’s the thing: Boston were too talented to lose that Series, and the Heat shone a bright neon light on the Celtics’ myriad shortcomings. And now, with a new CBA program coming up, it’s going to be very difficult to keep all of that great talent around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown around.
An unofficial mission looms.
Outgoing boston celtics free agents
The Celtics have mostly veterans Set to come off bookswith notable exceptions.
- Danilo Gallinari, 34, F (player option)
- Mike Muscala, 31, C (club option)
- Grant Williams, 24, F (RFA)
- Blake Griffin, 34, C
- Mviondo Kapangel, 25, C (RFA)
- JD Davison, 20, G (RFA)
One would have to expect Gallinari to pick up the player’s $6.6 million option. The veteran spent the entire last season sidelined due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The Celtics are clearly hoping for a quick return to form. When healthy, Gallo can still provide value as a groundbreaker in the frontcourt.
Mike Muscala is a reliable third center who similarly derives his value on the court from his shooting. He’s also a good locker room vet, as evidenced by his time at OKC. The Celtics need guys to keep the locker room together and Moose’s services are fairly inexpensive.
The big name here is Grant Williams. The Celtics would be able to match any offer sheet Williams signed as a restricted free agent, but he was in and out of Joe Mazzola’s playoff cycle. Chances are another team will see value in his solid defense and consistent 3-point hitting – Boston can be outbid here.
Blake Griffin is another locker room vet that the Celtics could keep on the cheap. Capngill and Davison are two-way contracts who didn’t give much consideration to the opposing team.
Boston Celtics trade targets
The Celtics don’t have many holes on paper. There is talent in every position. World class defense personnel. Offensive fulcrums are already there. It’s really a matter of how much Boston wants to turn things around after their rocky performance in the Conference Finals.
Jaylen Brown will be involved in trade rumors because of how bad he is in Game 7. The obvious point connection would establish Brown as a potential trade target for the Portland Trail Blazers, who could build a package around Anfernee Simons, the No. 3 pick in the June NBA draft. Another potential business is Houston, which recently hired Ime Udoka.
Assuming the Celtics keep Brown for now, any movement in the trade market will be marginal at best. There has been talk of Marcus Smart as a possible trade candidate, but trading the former Defensive Player of the Year just to turn things around seems shortsighted. The Celtics are taking risks to solve problems that don’t exist any big step.
Of note is the recent trade request from Payton Pritchard, who could get a good draft or other rotational piece from the right team.
Boston Celtics free agent goals
Boston already has several large contracts on the books and will be running over the limit. With the new CBA soon to take effect, Boston will face serious roster-building challenges even further. In fact, it would be impossible to keep everyone around for years to come if the team extended Jaylen Brown.
This is where all of Boston’s free agent focus will be. Brown is eligible for a $285 million supermax extension over five years after making the All-NBA Team. His uneven performance in the playoffs – capped by a particularly awful performance in Game 7 with a star teammate – has led many to wonder if the Browns are worth the money.
For now, Boston appears eager to keep the Browns. If there was any opponent to the team that drafted him, it wouldn’t be much. An oversized bag for Brown would essentially prevent the Celtics from getting any free factors of significance.
The veteran market bottom line is where Boston will have to look to fill out the roster, à la Blake Griffin last summer. Think names like Wes Matthews or Will Barton.
Boston Celtics NBA Draft Goals
The Boston Celtics don’t have their first-round pick, but they do have the 35th pick early in the second round. There is absolute value in this choice. While a second-round pick is unlikely to break the rotation as a rookie, the Celtics would be wise to target another source to create the shot on the perimeter with Payton Pritchard seemingly on the way out.
Names to watch: Terquavion Smith, Marcus Sasser, and Amari Bailey.
For more information about this year’s NBA Draft season, check out the latest Mock and Big Board draft.
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