Getty Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics fell to their second straight defeat on October 29 at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Boston has a depth issue at the center position, despite employing Luke Kornet, Noah Vonleh, and Blake Griffin as rotation options off the bench. In his October 28 article, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes proposed that Boston enter into discussions with the Charlotte Hornets in order to resolve some of their issues at the five. The proposed trade looks like this:
Boston Receives: P.J. Washington
Charlotte Receives: A protected 2024 first-round draft pick
It’s early, but PJ Washington showing more comfort with one-on-one self-creation and pick-and-roll initiation scoring efforts, including a little step-back jumper from multiple levels of the floor
“The Celtics can take Washington into one of two trade exceptions, valued at $5.9 and $6.9 million, respectively…Washington has been on a heater to start the 2022-23 season, and with three-point percentages of 36.5 percent or better in each of his previous three campaigns, Charlotte would be justified in demanding minimal protections on that first-rounder and/or additional draft sweeteners…Fans interested in the Celtics entering the postseason with as high a seed as possible should be uncomfortable with some combination of Blake Griffin, Noah Vonleh, and Luke Kornet picking up the rotation slack,” Hughes wrote.
Throughout his first five games of the season, Washington has averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 38.5% from two-point range and 40% from deep. Furthermore, Washington has proven capable of playing at both the four and five, giving Boston the additional frontcourt versatility their roster is sorely missing.
What Does Washington Bring to The Table?
A six-foot-seven sharpshooter, Washington is a reliable floor spacer, capable of scoring off the catch or attacking close-outs with minimal dribble pull-ups from mid-range. Of course, a catch-and-shoot threat is always a nice addition to a contending team, but the Celtics need more than just another offensive weapon.
Defensively, Washington gives you another both on the glass who is capable of bagging some rebounds each night – he’s averaging 5.7 boards per contest in his career. Furthermore, the Kentucky native is a mobile defender who can flip his hips to stay in front of his man, and would easily slot into the Celtics’ defensive system.
Good lord, PJ Washington — absolutely deletes Jeremy Sochan at the rim. Nasty block on the 1-on-1 drive.
While Washington may be serviceable on the glass rather than exceptional, he does provide another shot-blocking presence, according to Cleaning The Glass (who use a garbage time filter) Washington is blocking 1.9% of the shots he contests – for reference, Robert Williams blocks 5% of his shot contests.
So, Washington won’t be the defensive lynchpin that Williams is, but his mobility, rebounding, and occasional shot-blocking will give the Celtics a significant boost on that end of the floor while also helping evolve their bench rotations offensive approach.
Joe Mazzulla Urges Celtics to Execute Their Gameplan
After a hot start to the season, Boston’s defense has begun to show cracks, leading to two straight losses against Eastern Conference rivals. Speaking to the media during Boston’s October 28 post-game press conference, interim head coach Joe Mazzulla urged his team to execute their game plan at a higher level.
“We have to know personnel, and at the same time, we need to learn how to win again…Each season you come into, you’re not guaranteed to win, and so it’s valuing the ball, and it’s knowing tendencies, and it’s boxing out and rebounding. Just the fundamentals,” Mazzulla said.
Boston’s next game will be on Sunday, October 30, when they face off against the Washington Wizards – another loss will see the Celtics fall to .500 on the young season, which is far from the start they were expecting to have.