2017–18 NBA Season Preview: Boston Celtics
This offseason was just about as action-packed for the Boston Celtics as their fans could have possibly hoped it would be. They made a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, moving down from the first overall pick in the NBA Draft to number three. They also made a trade with the Detroit Pistons, giving up Avery Bradley for Marcus Morris, setting them up to officially sign prized free agent Gordon Hayward.
Offseason Moves
Re-signed: None
Added: Jayson Tatum (Draft), Semi Ojeleye (Draft), Ante Zizic (2016 Draft), Guerschon Yabusele (2016 Draft), Abdel Nader (G-League), Marcus Morris (Trade), Gordon Hayward (Free Agency), Aron Baynes (Free Agency), Shane Larkin (Free Agency)
Lost: Tyler Zeller (Waived), Demetrius Jackson (Waived), Jordan Mickey (Waived), James Young (Free Agency), Avery Bradley (Trade), Amir Johnson (Free Agency), Jonas Jerebko (Free Agency), Kelly Olynyk (Free Agency), Gerald Green (Free Agency)
General Manager Danny Ainge’s reasoning for the very complicated deal with Philly, in which…
-Sixers get the #1 pick
-Celtics get the #3 pick and the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick if it’s in the range of 2–5, or the more favorable of the Sixers’ and Kings’ 2019 first-round picks, but less favorable if one of them is #1
Was that Jayson Tatum, who he picked at #3, was atop his draft board, and he knew he wasn’t going to be taken in the top two. Philly was in love with consensus #1 overall prospect Markelle Fultz, the player who many expected Ainge to take. Basically, he added an extra pick to get the guy he wanted from the jump. In theory, it was a smart idea, but the problem with Ainge’s thought process was this — he should have wanted Fultz.
Drafting Fultz, a generational talent when it comes to putting the ball in the basket, would serve as the perfect out to not be forced to give a max contract to Isaiah Thomas, who they should have then looked to trade. But now Ainge is going to have to pay big money to a player who has to be hidden on defense, and to make matters even worse, he botched the third pick — Tatum is definitely ready to play right now, but he has limited upside, isn’t a good defender, and has an outdated playstyle that doesn’t fit with the new wave of passing, shooting and spacing in the NBA. However, getting SMU’s Semi Ojeleye at pick #37 was the steal of the draft- he’s going to become an elite role player, someone who can knock down three-pointers at a great clip while also being able to guard multiple positions well.
And then comes Free Agency. The Celtics entered with one very apparent goal- sign Gordon Hayward. This was likely their last chance to get a star due to their upcoming free agents next summer, and they pounced on the opportunity, grabbing the All-Star forward on a four-year max contract. Unfortunately, though, they had to trade one of Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart or Jae Crowder in order to save the money to complete the major acquisition. This fact was clear, and it gave the Celtics no leverage in trade talks whatsoever.
They ended up moving Bradley along with a 2019 second-rounder to Detroit for Marcus Morris, a multi-positional forward who can play some quality minutes for them. He isn’t a great fit, but you can never have too many versatile wing players, and the Celtics have more of them than anybody. They also had to renounce the rights to Olynyk, Johnson, Jerebko, Young, Jackson, Mickey, Zeller and Green to complete the deal- it may be a heavy handful of players, but most have been replaced with better players. They also signed Aron Baynes, who will likely fill Amir Johnson’s role in the starting lineup and play limited minutes. He is there strictly for rebounding, Boston’s biggest weakness.
The Key to Their Success
The Celtics’ goal for this season is to surpass LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to an NBA Finals appearance. And that can happen if their rebounding problem is fixed. Now, they’ll likely also need Cleveland to continue self-destructing, but that could very well be what happens. Rebounding is what nearly lost them their first-round series with Chicago last season, and it’s clearly a big problem. If they can fix up that situation, though, they could be Finals-bound.
Player to Watch
The Celtics’ issues on the interior have been very obvious, and rookie bigman Ante Zizic could be a huge help. He was a first-round pick in 2016 and played overseas for a year, but is now joining the Celtics in Boston. It’s unclear how ready he will be to contribute right off the bat, but if can provide help when it comes to rebounding and interior defense, the Celtics will be a tough team to out come playoff time.
Best and Worst Case Scenarios
Best case: As Cleveland continues to deteriorate, the Celtics get better and better as the season goes on, gradually fixing their rebounding problem and once again earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but this time beating the Cavaliers and receiving the honor of getting beaten badly by the Golden State Warriors.
Worst case: None of the reinforcements provide any significant value, and the Celtics are once again handily defeated in the postseason by LeBron and the Cavs.
Predicting Their Fate
The fate of the Celtics depends on what happens with Kyrie Irving. If the Cavaliers keep Irving, or make the rumored trade with the Phoenix Suns, expect them to be ready for another rematch with Golden State Warriors. If they make a much less valuable trade for him, the Celtics may very well get passed LeBron, finally.
