12-Year Veteran Listed as Potential Celtics Target

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Luke Kornet, Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics got back to winning ways on October 30, as they defeated the Washington Wizards to earn a 4-2 record on the season.

One of the more notable points regarding the Celtics’ latest victory, is that Luke Kornet assumed the role of backup center, and looked impressive while doing so. However, that backup five spot is still an area of weakness at the moment, which is why Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus believes the Celtics should pursue Derrick Favors on the free agency market.

Eric Pincus

@EricPincus · Follow

Latest @BleacherReport Best Landing Spots for Top Available NBA Free Agents

From bleacherreport.com

6:29 pm · 28 Oct 2022

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“Derrick Favors gave the Thunder almost 17 minutes per game last season, averaging 5.3 points per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field…He could be a realistic option for a team that needs experienced, low-maintenance size off the bench. Perhaps competing for similar spots as Howard (should the veteran continue his career), Favors may fit with teams like the Celtics, Nets, or Clippers,” Pincus wrote in his October 30 article.

Favors, 31, is a defensively-minded center who can provide a solid presence on the defensive glass – an area of weakness for the Celtics, while also giving Boston a traditional low-post presence on offense. Factor in Favors’ ability to be a legitimate screening threat, and he suddenly looks like an attractive prospect for a Celtics team that’s utilized Noah Vonleh as a rotational big to start the season.

Making Room For a New Addition

Currently, the Celtics roster is at its 15-player limit, so the Celtics would need to waive one of their current guys in order to make room for Favors, and that could be costly given their luxury tax status.

Adam Taylor

@AdamTaylorNBA · Follow

Notable that Kornet gets the minutes over Vonleh in the 1st quarter.

6:27 pm · 30 Oct 2022

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Luckily, both Vonleh and Justin Jackson are on non-guaranteed contracts, which means they’re able to be waived without impacting the Celtics’ cap sheet. Given that Jackson has seldom seen the floor – even in garbage time, and Vonleh looks to have lost his spot in the rotation to Kornet, moving on from one of those deep bench players could be the ideal move if it meant adding an experienced contributor such as Favors.

Of course, if Favors were to arrive in Boston, Kornets minutes would likely take a hit, but given the 12-year veteran’s defensive ability, the move could be what resolves some of the Celtics’ most glaring issues.

Joe Mazzulla Has Faith in Boston’s Defense

Speaking to the media following the Celtics’ October 30 victory over the Wizards, Mazzulla noted how he was pleased with the defensive improvements the Celtics showed, and revealed what he’s expecting from the team moving forward.

“I saw the same effort we’ve had over the first, however many games we’ve played. I saw a commitment to the details and commitment to execution on every possession we talked about before the game. Guys are always going to play hard, we just have to continue to execute and be detailed, and be more consistent than we were tonight…I’m not as concerned with the defense. We’re fourth in shot selection defense, and we’re last in mid-range points per shot, and we’re first in mid-range frequency. So, some of the stuff, we just have to a better job,” Mazzulla said.

If the Celtics can strike a balance between their new offensive approach, and the defensive mindset that took them to the NBA Finals last season, they should be more than capable of challenging for the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the season. Whether the Celtics’ front office believes Derrick Favors is another piece to their puzzle, is another story.