Getty Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
No matter which way you try to spin it, last season was a successful one for the Boston Celtics, even if it didn’t have the fairytale ending we were hoping for.
If we’re being honest with ourselves, to begin the season, a second-round exit seemed both reasonable and realistic, given Boston’s unceremonious exit at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.
However, after a rocky start, the Celtics figured things out and embarked on a thrilling run that saw them lose to the Golden State Warriors in game six of the NBA Finals. And, according to Marcus Smart, it was Boston’s lack of depth that cost the team in the closing stages of the post-season, as bumps and bruises began to pile up.
“I think depth was one of the big things that hurt us. You had me, Jayson (Tatum), Jaylen (Brown), and our starters playing, clawing, and we did it to ourselves…We put ourselves in that situation early on, having to fight back through injuries and stuff. Being able to have that depth of guys who are experienced and understand the game such as Gallo and Brogdon definitely will help us with that,” Smart told The Athletic’s Jared Weiss in a September 14 interview.
Unfortunately, Boston’s depth was an issue they couldn’t overcome, which is why Brad Stevens was quick to add some quality this summer, acquiring Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari – however, Gallinari is now set to miss the regular season due to an ACL injury.
Tatum Was Playing With Broken Wrist
Towards the end of the post-season, we all knew that Tatum was sporting a shoulder injury – we could see as much every time he embraced contact on the way to the bucket. However, on August 21, during an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Tatum admitted to also playing with a non-displaced fracture in his wrist.
“I had a non-displaced fracture in my wrist. It was small, but it was a non-displaced chip – I had chipped the bone, but it didn’t leave the surface. It showed the bone had grown over and it had healed, but it would still hurt because I kept getting hit and falling on it. So, I guess I played with somewhat of a fracture for two months, and then in the playoffs, there was a play against Milwaukee in game three – I dunked it, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) chased me down and I fell into the crowd and that was the most painful it’s been since the day that I hurt it…After each game, I had to wear a brace, but I would take it back off before the cameras saw me,” Tatum told Rooks during the interview.
“I played with somewhat of a fracture for two months” 🤯
Jayson Tatum opens up about playing through an undisclosed injury during the playoffs in live interview with Taylor Rooks in B/R app
Unfortunately, Tatum wasn’t the best version of himself through the finals, yet he still ended the series with averages of 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and seven assists per game while shooting 45.5% from deep and 36.7% from the field – so, pretty impressive numbers all things considered.
Celtics ‘Not Interested’ in Acquiring Carmelo Anthony
Despite Smart’s comments about a lack of depth costing Boston a potential championship, it would seem that Brad Stevens is willing to roll the dice when it comes to finding a replacement for Gallinari in the upcoming season.
Shortly after the veteran forward’s injury became public knowledge, Celtics fans around the world began postulating who his potential replacement could be – with many agreeing that Carmelo Anthony was a logical choice.
Yet, according to Masslive’s Brian Robb, it would seem Stevens and the front office do not currently hold an interest in acquiring the future Hall Of Fame forward.
“The Carmelo Anthony buzz was a hot topic this week after the rumors started swirling about the Celtics’ interest in him last week. However, multiple league sources tell MassLive that the Celtics are not expected to have interest in bringing in the veteran for a signing ahead of training camp.
…That’s not to say the team is done shaping the roster ahead of the preseason, but Anthony isn’t a priority at this point at names that could be brought in. Boston likes a lot of their internal replacement options, from what I’ve heard, and want to give those names the first crack at minutes,” Robb wrote in his September 9 mailbag article.
With Stevens looking to find value in some younger veterans receiving training camp invites, it’s going to be incredibly interesting to see how the back end of Boston’s roster shapes up as the season draws near – one thing’s for certain though, the Celtics have addressed some of their biggest needs this summer.