UA-59049186-1 NBA Team Preview: Boston Celtics - Good if it Goes
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NBA Team Preview: Boston Celtics

Offseason:

Draft Picks: 3. SF. Jaylen Brown, 16. PF. Guerschon Yabusele, 23. C. Ante Zizic,  45. PG. Demetrius Jackson, 51. PF. Ben Bentil, 58. SG. Abdel Nader

Key Acquisitions: C. Al Horford, SG. Gerald Green

Key Losses: PF. Jared Sullinger, SF. Evan Turner

Player Profiles

Projected Lineup

PG. Isaiah Thomas: 5’9, 185

  • Miniature PG with big-time scoring ability and a lot of heart.
  • Dangerous on-ball scorer with top notch ball handling skills. Works ball screens very well and can create space for himself to get his shot as well as almost anyone in the league which is even more crucial given his 5’9 height.
  • He competes on defense but at that size there’s only so much you can do.  

SG. Avery Bradley: 6’2, 180

  • 3 and D combo guard that can score off the ball.
  • He’s okay on the ball as a secondary PnR type guy, but he’s at his best off the ball. He’s one of the best cut and finish guards in the league. Shot over 70% at the rim. He’s also a very good spot up 3 point shooter and likes to seek the transition 3.
  • He’s one of the best on-ball defenders in the league. He utilizes his long arms and quick feet to keep everything in front of him and he has quick hands and good instincts to poke it away and play the passing lanes.

SF. Jae Crowder: 6’6, 235

  • Versatile combo forward with a jack of all trades game that just helps your team win.
  • Offensively he can go from SF too small ball 4 with no problem despite his height because he plays with non stop effort and is physically strong. He’s primarily an off the ball guy who’s not a great 3 point shooter but respectable enough and is a very reliable finisher around the basket.  
  • He’ll never be confused with Kawhi Leonard or Paul George but he brings a blue collar work ethic to the defensive end of the floor that allows him to overachieve and some nights have similar caliber results as those elite wing defenders.

PF. Amir Johnson: 6’9, 249

  • Physical athletic PF built that’s built like a house and can impose his physicality on both ends of the floor.
  • Offensively he’s a 10 and in guy and great at it. Despite his lack of height he’s an elite finisher around the rim and can score a little posting up. He simply overpowers defenders either inside or on drives and can create space for his looks that way.
  • Very good defender that thrives in all areas. Protects the rim despite his size, gets steals because of his activity and can defend in PnR situations.

C. Al Horford: 6’10, 245

  • 2 way big man with an all-around offensive repertoire.
  • One of the best offensive bigs in the league. He’s an excellent passer, great mid-range shooter, decent 3 point shooter, excellent face up player, he can handle the ball and score in the post.
  • Terrific positional defender. He makes excellent rotations and has great attention to detail. He’s played the PnR well his entire career and though not elite at protecting the rim is good enough.

 

Bench

PG. Marcus Smart: 6’4, 220

  • Huge thickly built combo guard that plays tough on defense.
  • His offensive game is still very much a work in progress and can be rough to watch at times. He’s not the “SMARTest” offensive player in the world and his shot selection isn’t very good. He struggles everywhere from the field.
  • Defensively is where his value lies. He’s a physical defender that has superior size to swallow up PGs and is big enough to contend with wings and push some of them around too. He fights through screens and scraps to stick with his man and his effort on this end can’t be denied.

C. Kelly Olynyk: 7’0, 238

  • Mobile 7 footer with legitimate 3 point range.
  • Elite 3 point shooting big man that doesn’t just do it by standing still and being a traditional stretch big. He moves without the basketball and can go from inside to outside and create 3 point shot attempts for himself. Can make shots on the move.
  • Finesse big man that isn’t a great rebounder and not a major factor defensively in the interior. He does move well enough to not be a complete liability away from the paint.

SF. Jaylen Brown: 6’7, 220

  • Rookie athletic wing with a tremendous physical profile. 6’11 wingspan with big time leaping ability.
  • There’s no denying his physical traits and he figures to be a big-time slasher with his ability to run and jump. But his handle must improve and so must his jump shot if he wants to be trusted more as a on-ball scorer.
  • He has all the tools to be a big time defender in the NBA. Big, fast and strong with great length and lateral quickness there’s no reason for him not to be a good defender.

SG. Gerald Green: 6’7, 205

  • Athletic scoring wing that’s highly inconsistent from the outside.
  • His shooting throughout his career has been a complete anomaly. His 3 point % has fluctuated his entire career which honestly makes it hard to know what player you’re getting on a year to year basis. But one thing we do know is despite all of his ability to run and dunk he’s going to launch 3s whether their falling or not.
  • A career negative defender that hasn’t played much defense since he entered the league in 06.

PF. Jonas Jerebko: 6’10, 231

  • Stretch 4 that’s a quality pick player.
  • Can score spotting up as a 3-point shooter or as a pick partner popping out or rolling to the basket.
  • Not the most athletic guy, but is a neutral defender who can move laterally ok for a guy his size.

C. Tyler Zeller: 7’0, 250

  • Backup center that crashes the offensive boards with average athleticism.
  • Offensively he’s most utilizes as a dive man in PnR. He can do a little in terms of post moves off the catch but not much of a threat as a 1 on 1 post up player on the block.
  • Below average defensive big that can occasionally block shots but struggles to defend guys 1 on 1 or in PnR situations.

PG. Terry Rozier: 6’1, 190

  • 2nd-year PG with a lot of speed and quickness but also validated a lot of the concerns scouts had about him coming out of school in his rookie year.
  • Offensively there were big questions about his shooting and finishing ability and he struggled mightily to shoot from the outside and finish at the rim.
  • Like most rookies he wasn’t an impact defender and had some struggles but he has plenty of potential to be a good defender one day.  

PF. Jordan Mickey: 6’8, 235

  • 2nd year forward with great measurables and a lot of potential on the defensive side of the ball.
  • Didn’t play enough to gauge what he is as an NBA player but coming out he had major concerns about his offensive game.
  • Projected to be an elite defender and in the 57 minutes he played over 16 games the advanced defensive stats back that up. He was one of the best shot blockers in college and flies around on defense. Can overcome his lack of height with a very good standstill jump and 7’3 wingspan.

 

Breakdown

The starting 5 of the Celtics will mostly be the same with 1 big change in the frontcourt. That change comes at the center position where 4x all-star Al Horford comes over as free agent replacing Jared Sullinger. He’s not a true center when you look at his size and the way he plays but he gets the job done. There isn’t much he can’t do on the offensive end and his versatility, mobility, passing and shooting will all help fuel head coach Brad Steven’s heavy team oriented offensive scheme that involves a lot of ball and player movement. Returning in the front court at the forward spots are Amir Johnson at PF and Jae Crowder at SF. Johnson an undersized but big and physical player with athleticism that thrives in Stevens offense and also has a big impact on the defensive end. Crowder is a coach’s dream that brings max effort every night and plays whatever role or roles the team ask of him every night. The Celtics have the smallest backcourt in the NBA with the 5’9 Isaiah Thomas at PG and a 6’2 Avery Bradley at SG. Bradley looks to continue to impact the game on both ends with his pesky on ball defense and 3 point shooting. Thomas figures to lead this team in scoring yet again. Horford the best player but his game has never been predicated on a high volume of shot attempts. Thomas on the other hand is going to have the ball in his hands a ton and though he’ll play his part to run the system he’s also going to get his shots up and that’s not a problem because the Celtics need a guy that can do that. It would just be nice if that guy was a little taller.

The Celtics bench is loaded with toys for Brad Stevens to mix and match different lineups with. Marcus Smart is a bulldog defensively that can come in and defend anybody on the perimeter 1-3. The C’s just have to hope he can at least hit the wide open 3s. Rookie Jaylen Brown and Gerald Green bring much needed athleticism to the wing. Evan Turner was a fine player for the Celtics but those two are going to bring a new level of energy off the bench on the wings. As for the bigs he has multiple options to choose from. Olynyk figures to be the one that gets the most minutes as he did a year ago and if he makes 40% of his 3s again he’ll be a welcomed addition off the bench. Jerebko is another stretch option that can shoot it and unlike Olynyk he can attack closeouts as well. But if Horford or Johnson find themselves in foul trouble and Stevens feels he needs a big that can provide more a defensive impact then I think 2nd year man Jordan Mickey could get some action. He’s a very athletic player that can really disrupt things defensively. And then Tyler Zeller is also always there for depth purposes to be an experienced backup big man that can contribute as a PnR player if injuries happen.

 

Expectations

My expectations for the Celtics is for them to be a contender in the East. They’re going to easily make the playoffs and have as good a chance as any team in the conference without Lebron on the roster to get to the East finals. There is no true takeover star player but there is a lot of good players and an up and coming star coach that will figure out how to put his players in the best positions that take full advantage of all their strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. They could run into trouble in the playoffs against the Cavs and Pacers because both of those teams do have at least one transcendent player but as far as the regular season goes it’s been proven time and time again that deep well coached teams that defend win a lot of games in the regular season and this team will be no different.

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