Getty Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
We’re already over a week removed from the NBA trade deadline, and the Boston Celtics still have multiple open roster spaces.
While Brad Stevens circumvented NBA rules by converting Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet into full contracts, Boston still needs some additional reinforcements before the playoffs roll around. Yet, with how well the Celtics have been playing since the turn of the year, and their strength-in-depth, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pinpoint an area of weakness for the team.
Sure, the Celtics could do with some extra shooting, but the common consensus is that Aaron Nesmith and Sam Hauser could provide this. The same train of thought can be applied to the center position, as Boston simply swapped out Enes Freedom for Daniel Theis, and have looked better as a result. However, multiple analysts are expecting Boston to acquire at least one more big man to ensure they have enough depth at a pivotal position.
Heavy.com’s NBA Insider Steve Bulpett can’t see that happening and believes Boston will happily run with the big man rotation already at their disposal.
“If the right guy came along, I suppose they would, but I don’t see them doing it. I think they are looking for, they would rather have an extra shooter. Even if, it is hard to see a guy factoring in. They’ve just got to play the way they’ve played the last few weeks,” Bulpett said on a recent episode of Heavy on the NBA.
Teams Need Bodies To Handle Elite Bigs Like Embiid
The common consensus among NBA fans and analysts is that any team with hopes of a deep playoff run needs multiple big men to slow down some of the elite centers in the Eastern Conference. When it comes to top-tier big man talent, there’s only a handful of guys who fall into that category.
Yet, some of the best centers reside in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, and when deployed at the five, Giannis Antetokounmpo are all among the premier talents roaming the paint. As such, teams such as Boston need multiple options to throw onto the court, in the hope of wearing down such dominant players. That’s why the Brooklyn Nets were so happy to acquire Andre Drummond as part of the James Harden trade.
“The Miami Heat, at the trade deadline, they were looking to bring in a big body for the same purpose. What’s interesting is the Celtics had a test against him, he had a bunch of points because he went to the free-throw line, he is gonna get there, but I think he had three field goals.
They had Al Horford on him, and they were throwing extra bodies at him when he got in certain positions. The Philadelphia hope is that changes once you have James Harden on the court as a counterpoint. It was interesting the way Boston defended Embiid,” Bulpett said.
Celtics Need Another Guard
When Boston defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on February 15 they limited Joel Embiid with defensive switching and blitzing him in the mid-post. Sure, adding James Harden to the mix changes that defensive puzzle slightly, but the Celtics always seem to have Embiid’s number when the games matter most.
One area of Boston’s roster that could use some additional depth is their guard spot. As Marcus Smart’s absence was felt as the Celtics fell to the Detroit Pistons on February 16, with Derrick White and Payton Pritchard taking turns to run the show.
I’m thinking about potential celtics roster spot candidates and my mind is fixated on:
Gary Harris
DJ Augustin
DeAndre Bembry
Rodney Hood
Al Farouq Aminu
James Ennis
Assuming some of these guys get waived
And then obviously signing Isaiah Thomas
Sure, Boston does need to prioritize developing their sophomore point guard, but bringing in a veteran back-up makes sense. Both DJ Augustin and Isaiah Thomas have been names that many fans and analysts have floated around, should he enter the buyout market in the coming weeks. Adding a veteran guard such as Augustin would allow Boston to continue developing Pritchard, but also feel good about their strength in depth should another injury occur.
But of course, both of those guards are more wishful thinking on fans’ behalves than legitimate targets. Still, the fact that social media is abuzz with potential guard additions should tell you all you need to know.
With the All-Star break now upon us, the Celtics front office has plenty of time to do their due diligence on any potential additions, as we wait to see who teams cut loose in the coming weeks.