The Boston Celtics made the most surprising move of the offseason by trading Jaylen Brown. They decided to move on from the players who played the best for them a year ago. In doing so, they brought in Paul George in exchange for him.
Trading Brown also means that they will be relying heavily on Jayson Tatum and his surgically repaired Achilles. Tatum played the final 16 games of the regular season, but missed Game 7 against the 76ers. Now, the keys are fully turned over to him.
One NBA pundit gave the Celtics surprisingly high remarks for their offseason despite the trade.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers forward Paul George dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Celtics Ranked as Having the 12th-Best Offseason in the NBA
According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, the Celtics had the 12th-best offseason in the league. In fact, he actually believes George fits better with Tatum than Brown does.
“The Brown debate will go on for years — a reckoning on who we’re supposed to believe about the relative worth of a great player. George’s skill set feels like an easier mesh with Tatum than it was with Brown, who, rightly, felt unappreciated after leading the supposedly gap-year Celtics to the No. 2 seed last season,” Aldridge wrote.
Boston also signed Mitchell Robinson to be the backup center, which is an upgrade. However, he is someone who is also oft-injured. He was hurt in the NBA Finals for the Knicks, but they had a good enough starting center to overcome that. The Celtics do not. However, Aldridge loves that signing.
“In the meantime, Joe Mazzulla got one of his favorites around the league in Robinson, the offensive-rebounding/rim-protecting machine who’ll team nicely with Queta in the middle, and Cenac has potential,” Aldridge noted.
Figuring out a way to keep this team healthy is going to determine the ceiling. Even if advanced metrics aren’t Brown’s friend, he is one of the most durable players in the league. He’s not afraid to play hurt. The current members of the Celtics aren’t nearly as durable.
GettyBoston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum shoots the ball in a game against the 76ers. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Boston Could Fall Back in the Regular Season Standings
It wouldn’t be shocking to see this team fall back in the regular season standings. They were the second seed in the Eastern Conference a year ago, playing most of the year without Tatum. However, the rest of the East has gotten significantly better around them.
Philadelphia is now a championship contender after adding Brown and LeBron James. New York is the defending champ. Indiana is fully healthy and better than they were a year ago. Miami has Giannis Antetokounmpo now. Detroit was the number one seed a year ago, and they return most of that team.
It will be hard for Boston to have homecourt advantage in the playoffs next season. Still, if the team is healthy in the postseason, they will be a hard team to beat, even without Brown.
Celtics Given Surprising Offseason Grade After Jaylen Brown Trade